Harry and the Beginning of the End
by Neonlights
Summary: (COMPLETE!)The dursleys have been attacked. Harry is asumed dead, but those who matter know he is alive. Problem; where is he? Things are happening too fast...
1. Beginning of the End

AN; this is my first Harry Potter Fic. Be nice. I'm sort of continuing the story after OOTP. Not much romance, more of an adventure. Reviews welcome, and flames too if they're justified.  
  
Little Whinging in Surrey was a quiet town. The birds and the bees sung and buzzed, Mrs Figg's cats wandered their territory and children played at the park. Everything was quiet and peaceful. That is, until number four Privet Drive blew up. Mrs. Figg and her cats watched in horror as the huge fireball rose from the house. The explosion seemed to come from the kitchen. She could see red flashes that she knew were not part of the fire. She told Dumbledore immediately, of course. In the grey light of the morning wizards searched the building, they found the Durlsey's, curiously unharmed, but remembering nothing of their ordeal, but of the teenage boy with black hair and glassesand odd scar, there was no sign.  
  
He ran, his legs pumping hard and churning up the ground behind him, he ran not knowing where he was going, or whom he was running from. Not knowing who he was, not caring. But there was something behind him that made him run. It was dark, he noticed, and he was in an urban area. But he kept running, knowing that somewhere behind him was something horrible and evil, and it was looking for him. He ran on and on, and out of sight, and out of his mind.  
  
_Three months speed by..._  
  
They missed him, all the others. They missed his laugh and his smile and his bright green eyes. Many believed him dead. Those that mattered knew better. There was no body in the charred remains of number 4 Privet Drive. They knew that Voldemort wouldn't have taken the body if Harry had been killed. Dumbledore and McGonagall knew that Harry was alive. They just didn't know where. As the months past, they got more and more worried.  
  
He was hungry; ravenously so, he hadn't eaten properly for days, he knew because his stomach growled. It was raining. Every step he took got him a little wetter, and watered dripped of his over sized t-shirt. He still didn't know who he was. He knew he had run from something, but what that something was had long eluded him and he didn't bother about it anymore. He was in a street somewhere in London. He knew because he saw the sign at the city entrance as he had stalked invisibly past, his helpful cloak doing its job, as always. He didn't want to sleep. Sleeping meant he would dream, and the dreams weren't pleasant. Red and green flashes and evil laughter filled his sleep.  
  
He kept wandering, tired and needing sleep. He didn't stop. He knew that soon his body would get used to the lack of sleep and it would become numb and unfeeling. His foot slipped on the curb and he grabbed a pole to steady himself. He heaved a sigh of relief the glanced up at the pole and his blood went icy.  
  
**Grimauld Place.  
**  
He knew it. He remembered. Sirius. Dumbledore. Mcgonagall. The Dursleys. Hermione. Ron. All his friends. Qudditch. Hogwarts. HOGWARTS!  
  
He knew who he was. He was the boy who lived. He was Harry Potter. And he was close to the headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix.  
  
AN; tell me wat u thnk! 


	2. Return to Hogwarts I

AN; tell me wat u think, R&R as always!  
  
Harry tried the door to the Orders hq. It wouldn't open until he remembered that he had to tap the door with his wand, which, luckily he still had in his pocket from the night he had run from number Four Privet Drive. There was the welcome sound of several locks sliding out of place. Harry gave the door a light push and it swung open. He stepped into the dark hall, and noticed with a small start of surprise that the house had been painted since he had last visited. The painting of Sirius's mother was gone, there was just an empty spot on the wall now. Harry repressed the urge to sigh. There was nothing left of the Black family now.  
  
He went into the kitchen, looked left before right and heard a crash from his right. Turning he saw Remus Lupin staring at him. He had apparently dropped the goblet he had been drinking from, it was all over his trousers. Other than that he looked the same as ever, older than he should be with numerous patches covering his clothes.  
  
"Harry?" he croaked, and Harry nodded. Lupin stepped forward and hugged Harry tightly. Harry was a little bemused, but he hugged his old friend anyway.  
  
"When we saw number four we feared the worst." Lupin told him, stepping back to get a good look at the 16-year-old. What he saw didn't impress him, Harry had grown over the summer holidays, but he was just as thin as ever. His hair was too long, and it made him resemble Sirius. Lupin wondered if that was the point.  
  
"Are you ok?" he asked concerned.  
  
"I'm tired and I'm hungry. And I'm wet." Said Harry.  
  
Lupin chuckled, "well, that can be changed. But I think I should tell Dumbledore first."  
  
Harry shrugged, it didn't matter, and all he wanted was a full stomach and some dry clothes.  
  
Harry was waiting patiently when Dumbledore arrived, and glancing at the clock he realised that it was past midnight. He didn't think he was that important. There must be something else going on. He greeted the tall wizard as he entered, and wondered why he looked so tired, for in all the time he had known Albus Dumbledore he had never looked so tired and old. His blue eyes were still bright with intelligence behind his half-moon spectacles, but they didn't sparkle anymore. He told Dumbledore what he had been doing for the last three months. Dumbledore asked many questions about the night at Privet Drive, and Harry told him everything he could remember. Then Dumbledore began asking the same questions over and over, and harry got annoyed,  
  
"Why are you asking me all these questions again and again?" he asked after Dumbledore had sat and thought silently for a few minutes.  
  
Dumbledore sighed and leaned forwards, "it is my belief, Harry, that you were hit by am memory charm on the night Privet Drive was attacked. And I'm also afraid that you might be under the Imperious curse and the Polyjuice potion.'  
  
Harry blinked, suddenly understanding. Lupin hadn't given him anything to eat because he was afraid that he might not be Harry. It was absurd, yet believable. He chuckled for the first time in three months, making Lupin start and Dumbledore look at him sharply.  
  
"I get it." Said Harry, smiling to let them know he wasn't angry, "I won't eat or drink anything for the next hour, and as for the Imperious Curse, the anti-perious charm would allay that fear. And if you still don't believe me, I believe Professor Snape would be delighted to brew some truth Syup."  
  
Dumbledore smiled, and waved his wand, and Harry felt a wave of shivers run up his back, and his hair stood on end. Then, as suddenly as it came, the feeling stopped. If he had been under an Imperious Curse he would have fainted. As it was he was left feeling rather cold.  
  
"No Imperious Curse." Said Lupin decisively, Dumbledore agreed. Harry wished suddenly that he hadn't said anything. He was very hungry.  
  
An hour later, Dumbledore and Lupin had tested and retested him. They both agreed; Harry Potter, the boy who lived, was alive and back. Harry was glad. He was hungry. Dumbledore decided that he should go get some sleep, and that since Dumbledore had to return to Hogwarts, Harry would have to travel to Hogwarts with Lupin after he had rested a little so that Madame Pomfrey could look him over. At first Harry was excited over his going back to his real home, but as the day wore on after his sleep he began to think hard. Lupin, noticing the boy's troubled expression asked kindly,  
  
"What's up Harry?"  
  
Harry looked up, startled, said, "professor Lupin, I was wondering, if Voldemort thinks I'm dead shouldn't it stay that way? Won't going back to Hogwarts ruin that?"  
  
Lupin frowned, "I don't know Harry, we shall arrive at Dumbledore's office, so no one shall see you, and we'll ask The Professor when we're there."  
  
Harry nodded, he would have to wait out the day until dusk until they could Portkey to Hogwarts. But he didn't mind, because for the first time in months, he was with Hedwig again. She had escaped the fire easily, arriving with only singed feathers on the night of the attack explained Lupin. Hedwig wouldn't leave Harry's shoulder and she kept nipping his ear affectionately, so at Dusk when it came time to leave his ear was numb.  
  
When he went downstairs to the Dinning room harry was surprised to see his trunk and Firebolt on the floor. Remus, noting his expression, laughed and said that since his things had been in the basement of number four the explosion hadn't reached them, they had just got a little hot around the edges.  
  
Then it was time to go. Harry took hold of his luggage with one hand and held the Portkey with the other. He felt the familiar tug behind his naval and knew that he was going home.  
  
AN; tell me what you think!!!! 


	3. Return to Hogwarts II and other things

An; as usual tell me what you think!  
  
Harry landed in Professor Dumbledore's office. He looked around. Nothing had changed, even the thing that he had smashed last time he had been here were there, repaired. Professor Dumbledore was sitting behind his desk, smiling.  
  
"Welcome home Harry."  
  
Harry smiled, feeling an immense amount of gratitude towards the old man. Whatever his faults Dumbledore did understand him.  
  
"Thankyou Professor. It's nice to be back."  
  
"Albus, who knows of Harry's survival?" asked Lupin.  
  
"You. Me, and Harry of course."  
  
"Is that all?"  
  
"And shortly Professor Mcgonagall."  
  
True to his word, Professor Mcgonagall opened the office door and stepped into the room. She didn't notice Harry and Lupin at first, as they were still standing in the corner where they had arrived.  
  
She handed Dumbledore some papers, told him that he needed to sign them, turned and let out a small shriek upon seeing Lupin and Harry.  
  
"As you can see, Minerva, we have some visitors." Said Dumbledore, and Harry got the impression that he was enjoying having one over on his colleague.  
  
"Hello Professor." Said Harry and Lupin at the same time.  
  
"Potter! Remus!" she squeaked.  
  
"That's us, Min," said Lupin, chuckling. Professor McGonagall recovered from her startled state and stood a little straighter, "It's nice to see you have found your way back to us, Mr Potter." He could tell she was pleased to see him, so the severity of her words didn't bother him when she said, "let us hope that you don't miss any more work, hm?"  
  
"Yes Professor." Said Harry.  
  
"Mr Potter will not be attending classes for the moment," said Dumbledore, "I have decided that it is best for him to remain incognito."  
  
"That would be wise." Agreed the professor, and then added, "But that is no reason for him to fall behind in his study's. Transfiguration especially." She eyed Harry and he tried to keep his face serious, remembering 'Professor Umbridge last year and how she had spoken to her.  
  
"Yes professor." Said Harry, suddenly remembering Sirius. He had forgotten for the moment hat his God Father was dead. He abruptly felt the urge to cry and sought for something to get his mind of that subject.  
  
"Umm, if I can't attend classes, does that mean I won't be able to learn?"  
  
"On the contrary." Began Dumbledore, "if you live in number Twelve Grimauld Place as we hope you to do, then your teachers will send you your work Via Owl Post.  
  
Harry nodded, realizing that his fears were realized; Dumbledore thought it would be safer for him not to contact anyone. That meant he was going to have a lonely time.  
  
Dumbledore, as if reading his mind, gestured for them all to take seats and asked Harry, "Do you know why this is so Harry?"  
  
Harry nodded, "Because if I return to school Owls will go home within minutes and the whole world will know by the next day." He watched Dumbledore for a second, "but if I am to live at the Order's HQ for the next while, I would prefer to know that it would help the Order in some way."  
  
Dumbledore nodded, but it was Professor McGonagall who answered, "Yes Potter, since the Dark Lord thinks you're dead he may become just that little bit less careful. He may let something slip."  
  
"That's a lot of maybes" grumbled Harry. He glanced up in time to see the three adults exchange what he liked to cal the he's-acting-just-the-way-we- feared-he-would look. He had seen Ron and Hermione exchange it last year, but unlike last year his time it made him give in instead of getting angry. "Oh all right."  
  
Dumbledore smiled.  
  
"I will tell the teachers that we have a student in St Mungo's who needs our help. They will give me the necessary work for you and I will post it daily." Said McGonagall getting up to go. "And be careful Potter."  
  
Harry tried not to pull a face at her retreating back. Everyone seemed to think that he was going to do something stupid. The he glanced at his luggage, still sitting in the corner, saw his broom, and sat up straight suddenly, "Hey! This means I won't be able to play Quidditch!"  
  
"I am sorry Harry, but that's true."  
  
"I'm beginning to think this is bad. Homework in abundance, and no Quidditch. What else?"  
  
"There is something else." Began Lupin, a trifle tentatively, Harry thought, "I won't be at HQ all the time. I have a few missions to run for the Order."  
  
"Can I help?"  
  
"No, not yet, anyway." Said Dumbledore before Lupin could reply.  
  
Not yet. It was more promising than just a 'no' Harry thought he had better not push his luck.  
  
"Alright, may as well go talk to Madmane Pomfrey." Said Dumbledore, standing.  
  
Three hours later Harry was back at Grimauld Place. Lupin had stayed behind at Hogwarts to discuss his mission with Dumbledore. Now Harry was alone for the first time since he had arrived and depression began to sink in. He remembered Sirius. The way the smile had frozen on his face when Bellatrix Lestrange had hit him with a curse. He remembered every second of watching the closest thing he had to a father falling in horrific detail. Harry knew his cheeks were wet, but at the moment he didn't care if Lupin did walk back in and see him crying. Lupin would understand.  
  
Harry felt so depressed that he knew that if he couldn't just stay where he was. He would have to do something to fight the depression that was threatening to overtake him, just as it had before the attack on privet drive.  
  
An; next chapter, what really happened at Privet drive? Find out! 


	4. Flash Back

AN; here we GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOooooooooooooooo.  
  
Harry felt so depressed that he knew that if he couldn't just stay where he was. He would have to do something to fight the depression that was threatening to overtake him, just as it had before the attack on privet drive.  
  
He was lying in the Sun in a rare moment of peace. The Durlsey's were inside, he could hear them talking. He wasn't listening to them, he was thinking about Sirius. Twelve loud bangs sounded. Harry jumped to his feet, suddenly feeling cold and he knew Dementors were back in Little Whinging. Then to his right there was a green flash and Harry whipped out his wand, searching the deceptively normal looking garden for a sign of a Disillusionment Spell. He knew it was hopeless. He went inside through the window. The Durlseys were screaming. Flashes were splitting his vision. He still couldn't see the Dementors. He bellowed the spell and Prongs leapt form his wand to charge at a corner of the room. Harry left Prongs to do what he did best while he ran up stairs. He flung open his trunk and pulled out his Invisibility cloak, thinking two (or thirteen) could play that game. He flung it on and raced downstairs where the air had become considerably warmer. The Dursleys were still screaming, and Harry ran to them, shutting them up with a few 'silencio' spells. Then a red bam came out of nowhere and clipped Harry as he tried to pull Dudley to his feet. The majority of the beam hit the Dursles, but Harry didn't know that because he had suddenly forgotten who he was. He looked wildly about, saw another red flash, this time of fire and felt an extreme force blew him of his feet and through the window. His arm felt like it was on fire and looking down he saw that his shirt sleeve and some of the skin underneath were shredded. Then he felt the cold of a Dementor, and not knowing what it was, he had run before the thing could get a hold on him.  
  
When he had finally rememebered who he was and what he was he had been a block away from the Orders HQ. There was definetly something out there looking out for him.  
  
There was a crack downstairs and Harry knew the Remus was back. He wiped his eyes, sneezed a couple times on his way so Lupin would think that he hadn't been crying, just sneezing a lot. When he rounded the door Harry saw a small blur come at him and a high pitched voice squeaked his name,  
  
"Harry Potter sir!"  
  
"d-dobby?"  
  
"Yes sir, professor Dumbledore said that this place needed an elf now sir, since the last elf that was here was not honorable."  
  
"You mean Kreacher?"  
  
"Kreacher doesn't exist anymore." Said Lupin sharply from the dinning room.  
  
"Now Dobby is here to take care of Harry Potter sir!" squealed Dobby, then his ears drooped, "but Harry Potter sir, Dobby would like to have Winky here too, she is very lonely."  
  
Harry looked up at Lupin, and the man shrugged, "That's up to Dumbledore, Dobby, but I will ask him when I see him again."  
  
"Thank you kind sir!"  
  
***  
  
With Dobby taking care of them, both Harry and Lupin put on some weight in the weeks that followed. Dobby even patched Lupins clothes. Harry was glad for the company that Dobby made as he pottered around, getting rid of the nasty little creatures that Mrs Weasley hadn't had time to get rid of last summer. Harry did the work Professor Mcgonagall sent him and then some, but still found it hard to fill his day until he found a book on decorating houses with magic. Mrs Weasley had used it, but only to a certain extent. She had painted the walls, but they were cream, and, Harry thought, rather boring. One day after he had finished his work for the day, and he was lying on his bed, staring at the ceiling, thinking it was boring and he should find some posters of something to put up on it. Then it occurred to him that that was an entirely muggle suggestion. He could liven up his room, but he didn't need muggle posters to do so. He went downstairs and asked Dobby for the book. Dobby retrieved it for him, and watched as Harry flicked through. Seeing something that looked interesting he turned the book around and showed dobby the picture of clouds floating around the ceiling of a room, "What d'ya reckon?"  
  
Dobby clapped his hands, "it is good Harry Potter sir!"  
  
"Do you reckon I could do it?"  
  
"Yes sir, Harry Potter sir, you are a great wizard Harry Potter sir!"  
  
"Well les give it a go, eh?"  
  
Three hours later Harry was exhausted, but gratified. His ceiling was nothing like the grand halls at Hogwarts, and the clouds were moving around rather statically, but Harry, and Dobby it seems were pleased with it.  
  
"Harry Potter sir! It looks wonderful Harry Potter sir!" Dobby would have continued in that vein for some time had not the front door down stairs opened. He ran down stairs and greeted the lady with pink hair in the hall, calling her mistress and taking her cloak. She was telling him that he was an improvement on the last house elf they had had there when she saw Harry coming down the stairs. "Harry!" "Wotcher, Tonks." Harry repeated the greeting that she had hailed him with when they first met a year ago. She shook her head as she shook his hand, "Dumbledore said you would be back, and I didn't believe him. He was so angry with Mundungus that I thought at the time he was in denial. I was wrong, again, so it seems." Harry laughed, and asked her what she had been up to, but she just tapped the side of her nose and told him to mid his business. Harry complained that his business was rather boring at the moment. Nymphadora Tonks chukled, and told him to wait a little while.  
  
Over dinner that night Tonks kept changing her hair, violet, pink, orange. Most of the shades made Harry laugh. Lupin just smiled. Then, Harry remembering something he had wondered about, asked Tonks if he could be a metamorphagus. Tonks began to tell him that it was born in, but Harry interrupted and told her that he had made his hair grow from a crew cut to a ponytail over night once. Lupin frowned and mentioned that he had once heard Harry's father mention a grandmother metamorphagus. Tonks told them that they would look into it, and said goodbye after a quick rest in front of the fire to talk to Dumbledore. Lupin told Harry that he would be gone for the next couple of days, and Harry tried to be happy for his older friend, being able to get out of the house, and after Lupin left Harry went to the bathroom and stared at the mirror for a while. His face had lost what tan he had gained over his stay at the Dursleys and was now pasty white. His eyes were beginning to get red rims around them because of lack of sleep.  
  
"I'm not doing enough physically during the day, Dobby." Harry told the house elf. It was then that Dobby suggested that Harry run up and down the stairs for an hour each day.  
  
That was it. Life settled into a routine. Harry would wake, dress, eat, do his school work, eat, study his school work, and run up and down the stairs. He was in the middle of running up and down the stairs when the door opened one evening. Severus Snape walked in the door. Harry, coming down the stairs, froze, remembering what Snape had done to him last year. If Dobby hadn't appeared Harry was sure he would have done something nasty. Snape ate, wrote a few letters and departed, leaving the letters on the mantle piece and a nasty taste in Harry's mouth.  
  
Harry was wondering if he could unseal the letters without anyone knowing when Hedwig returned with his marks from a transfiguration exercise, and he forgot about Snape as he jumped around happily, having got his first perfect score. As he opened a bottle of butter beer in celebration he though, yep, Hermione is right. There is something to be said for doing your own work and doing it well. He knew for a fact that his History of Magic notes were the best you could get because Professor Binns had sent him copies of his own notes. He wondered what Hermione would say if she found out. Hedwig nipped him, annoyed. And he saw that she had actually delivered two letters, and he scratched her head gently as he opened the next one. It was a letter from professor Mcgonagal, telling him that there was to be a Order meeting at HQ in two days time and could he make sure Dobby catered for at least fifteen hungry adults. Harry grinned when he realised that the professor had not used his name.  
  
He scribbled a note back to her assuring her that he would do as she wished, asked Hedwig if she was up too it (he was greeted by an indignant hoot on that one) and let her out the window.  
  
AN; next time; The Order Meeting. Ba ba ba ba bauuum!! Tell me what you think!! 


	5. The Meeting

AN; tell me what you think, also, DISCLAIMER!!! I don't own Harry, Ron, Hermione, Neville, Hedwig, Ginny, Fred and George (or is it George and Fred?), Dumbledore, Lupin, Tonks, Snape (yuk), McGonagall (go Gryffindor!), AND WHOVER ELSE. I wish I did though, man, JK Rowling, ya just gotta love her!  
  
ALSO I have so many people to thank; here is just a few. DelPiero Lady Arwen of Rivendell Blueberrie A.M.bookworm247 Katani Petitedra Mikee hermionegreen Hermione512 Keyblademaster44 Englishgirl wanderingwolf and many more, sorry I could get everyone's names. And especially to Keyblademaster44 and HarryGryffinGirl because they put me on their fav stories list..I KNOW THE REST OF U WANT TO ITS JUST THAT U FORGET!!! ^_^ here we go with.  
  
The Meeting.  
  
Dobby had worked frantically over the next day, getting the house up to scratch. Not that he needed to. It was perfect anyway. The first person to arrive was Dumbledore, apparating into the dinning room and near startling Harry out of his wits. He asked Harry how he was doing, and Harry answered truthfully. "I'm bored, and I want to know what's going on." Dumbledore watched him for a second and Harry though he'd add a little something, "You must admit, Professor, that I have a right to know, it is me that's going to have to retire the Order once and for all."  
  
Dumbledore nodded, "Yes Harry. I think it is time that you knew what has been going on. You can sit in on the meeting tonight, but don't make any noise. Ask me questions later."  
  
Harry nodded, and then remembered Snape's little visit.  
  
"There are a few letters on the mantelpiece from Tonks and Snape for you. Dobby has had to dust around them for the last week, and it's driving him spare."  
  
Dumbledore took the letters down, and Harry watched his frown deepen as he read.  
  
"Professor?" he asked after a minute of silence.  
  
"I'll tell you later Harry."  
  
The door opened, Tonks and Lupin swept in, Tonks almost tripping over her own feet. Harry greeted them amicably. The next to arrive was Kingsley, and he shook Harry's hand with a quiet smile. Then there was a spate of arrivals and Dobby and Harry ran here and there, informing Dumbldore of the new arrivals as he had asked him to. Of course quite a few of the Order were amazed to see the boy-who-lived alive, but it was Charlie Weasley that really made Harry laugh. Charlie walked in, tall and as cool as ever, and fell over Dobby when he saw Harry. Harry laughed to cover the sense of dread that he felt up. If Charlie was all the way from Romania then this was a very serious meeting. He helped the young man up, still chuckling.  
  
Then the meeting started with all those who were hungry munching on the sandwiches etc that were provided by dobby. Harry leant against the wall at the back of the room, an interested observer rather than a boy whose life hangs in the balance of the decisions made in that room.  
  
"As you can see, we have the best kept secret this side f Pluto in the room with us, it is as I told you. Harry Potter has returned to us." Began Dumbldore, and Harry saw Snape giving him a glare, and matched him eye for eye. The next thirty minutes turned Harry's world upside down. Dumbledore explained that all of the Order was now known to Voldemort. That meant that no one in the room was safe. Neither were their families. There was a low murmur at that, and Harry felt sympathy for those who had families. Dumbledore explained that even Tonks was now at risk, having been exposed accidentally. Since this was so, none of the Order would be able to keep tabs on the death eaters of their leader.  
  
Dumbledore closed the meeting by telling those with families to go home and talk to them, tell them what was happening. As they left Harry heard talk of secret keepers and hiding. He hoped that they would have better luck with secret keepers than his parents had. When only Lupin, Moody, McGonagall and Dumbldore remained Dobby bought out some Butter beer. As they sipped the adults discussed what was to be done. Moody said that invisibility cloaks were useless, as the dark lord could see through them, as could most of his followers. They decided that the only thing that could work was an animagus, but since the D.E's* knew of Professor McGonagall's Tabby form and she could assume no other that that was useless. Lupin asked about any other animagi in the Order, but there were none.  
  
Later, when Lupin was sleeping off his broom lag and McGonagall had gone Dumbledore told Harry that there had been a spate of attacks on Muggles related to wizards. The attack of the Durlseys had been the last, and the worst, mainly because the house had been destroyed. Harry was puzzled, "you mean that that attack may not have been aimed at me?"  
  
"it certainly seems so."  
  
Harry nodded to show his understanding, and then asked a question that had been bothering him, "Professor, sir, where are Mr and Mrs Weasley?"  
  
To his surprise, Dumbledore sighed and looked very worried, "we don't know Harry, they went on a mission earlier this month and they haven't come back yet. There has been no word from them."  
  
"Does Ron know?" asked Harry, immediately worried for his friend.  
  
"Not yet. As far as Mr and Miss Weasley are concerned, their parents have taken a holiday and are out of contact."  
  
"Oh boy."  
  
There wasn't much else to say.  
  
Later, even the bright sky roving around his ceiling failed to cheer Harry. He lay on his bed and stared at the ceiling, wondering how Mr and Mrs Weasley were. Where ever they were he hoped they were ok. They had always been very friendly. There was a tap at his window, and Harry sighed and rolled of his bed to open the window. It wasn't Hedwig that flopped through the window, though she was there. It was Errol.  
  
"Errol!" cried Harry, picking up the bird carefully, and grabbing the water container from Hedwigs cage. While the poor owl drank Harry untied the letter, written hastily in Rons hand.  
  
Mum, Dad.  
  
It's great here at school, though I'm a little lonely without Harry. I wish I could get my hands on You-Know-Who, show him what I think.  
  
Anyway, there's something odd going on here at school. Kids disappear for a day or two, then they come back and they don't remember where they were. Hermione and I are investigating, but it's different without Harry.  
  
There is going to be a Quidditch versus Slytherin match on the fourth, don't suppose you could come? We don't have a seeker yet, beside Ginny and she doesn't really want to do it.  
  
Write soon. Love Ron.  
  
Harry watched Errol thoughtfully. There was some odd things goingon that he didn't understand. Then he brightened, Quidditch! He would go the match, since it was at Hogwarts he would be safe. He folded the leeter, put it in his drawer and went to sleep. And he dreamed of Sirius.  
  
AN; that's it for this chapter; I know not much has happened. But it will get there. Promise. Next chapter, QUIDDITCH AND QUESTIONS. R&R as usual. Luv ya 4 it! * D.E means DEATH EATER!!!! Waah, ugly yuky things. Yuk. 


	6. Quidditch and Questions

AN; I don't own Harry Potter. Man I wish I did, but nope.  
  
Tell me what you think. I'm aiming it to be a short story, but well, these things have a way of getting out of hand. Tell me what you think. I am so proud of all my reviews, I had 20 with in the first day of having this story on the net, I mean, how coooooool is that?  
  
Quidditch and Questions  
  
The day of the Quidditch match Harry pulled on his cloak and went with Lupin to the game. He had never actually watched a Quidditch game, besides the world cup. He was sitting next to Lupin in the teaches stand when he saw a boy run up to Professor McGonagall, and intrigued, he listened in.  
  
"She won't play as Seeker." He caught the hurried undertones. Harry suddenly smiled, Ginny wouldn't play, well, he would have to make her.  
  
"I'll be back," he told Lupin, who nodded.  
  
Harry followed Professor Mcgonagal. He had bought his broom stick, knowing that it would e the first time in five months that he would be able to fly.  
  
"Professor McGonagall," he hissed and the lady stopped.  
  
"Here, give this to Ginny and tell her I would have wanted her to use it for the games."  
  
He handed her the Firebolt. She stared at a place over his head, "Thank you Potter."  
  
"I'm still part of Gryffindor, professor."  
  
Ten minutes later Lee Jordan was yelling franticly into the microphone that the Gryffindor team had the best kept secret this side of Pluto with the Firebolt.  
  
The poor Slytherins didn't have a chance. They lost by 200 points. Harry yelled and cheered as loudly as the G team did a victory lap, Ginny holding the snitch.  
  
Harry hung around after the match, listening to the talk in the g teams changing room, most of it about the Firebolt. He smiled when he heard Ginny refuse to give it to one of the new beaters. She was going to take good care of it.  
  
Ginny and Ron were asked to stay behind by professor McGonagall. Harry stood in the corner of the tent and listened as the Professor told the two siblings that their parents were missing in action. Ginny began to cry, but Ron got angry, asking why they hadn't been told sooner. McGonagall sent the to the Hospital wing to calm down, telling them that Dumbledore would meet them there.  
  
McGonagall stayed behind at the arena for some reason, but Harry followed Ron and Ginny. They met Hermoine and Neville waiting for them on the way up to the school and Harry could hear Ron's angry murmur. Harry began to get worried when the group of friends veered of towards Hagrids house. Harry wished he was with them; he hadn't talked to Hagrid in so long.  
  
He listened at the door as Ron asked Hagrid where prisoners of the DE's were kept. Hagrid told him, surprised. Then the friends left.  
  
"We don't need Harry to stage a rescue mission." Harry heard him tell the others as Luna Lovegood joined them.  
  
"We have to hurry." Said Hermione in an urgent whisper.  
  
"How will we get there?" asked Ginny.  
  
"Thestrals." Said Ron and Hermione at the same time.  
  
"Uh uh." Said Neville and Harry smiled, remembering the last time his friend had ridden a Thestral, "I am hopeless on those things."  
  
"Oh I wish Harry was here." Said Hermione anxiously, it was getting dark and Harry noticed that she was looking about with an almost frightened look on her face.  
  
"We can do this without Harry! I wish he was here to, he'd have a better idea than mine, but I want my parents!!"  
  
Harry shook his head; this was all happening so fast. He wondered if he stepped out from under his invisibility cloak.no, Dumbledore had forbidden him to while he was a Hogwarts. He wondered if he had sounded as rash and harsh as Ron did now last year. Sirius had payed for that mistake with his life.  
  
As if he was reading his mind, Hermione said, "But remember what happened to Snuffles. What if that happened to one of us?"  
  
Ron frowned, "I'm going. Whether or not you come is up to you."  
  
There was silence for a second and Neville said, "I'm coming with you Ron." Startling Harry.  
  
"So are we." Said Hermione for herself and Luna. Ginny nodded.  
  
Harry smiled and pulled out his wand. "Expelliarmus!" he said, and all five of their wands landed safely in his invisible outstretched hand.  
  
"What the-?" came from five mouths at once.  
  
"Do you really think that a group of school children, even gifted schoolchildren as you are, could get into The Death Eaters Hole?" Harry asked them in a deep voice, enjoying the looks on their faces as they heard his voice but couldn't find a body to place it with.  
  
"Harry?"  
  
"Harry Potter tried rushing off into things last year. Look where it got him."  
  
Five months of solitude and no family left.  
  
"Who are you?" asked Neville, looking rather pale.  
  
"A member of the order." Said Harry still in his deep voice.  
  
"Go talk to Dumbledore. He will have some good advice. And remember, if you insist on going, there will be no help coming from the Order. We are all known to the Death Eater's, even Tonks, and if you go in we can not go in after you. It would simply alert them to the fact that they have something that we want. You would be alone, and most likely dead." Harry felt he was being a little harsh, so he added, "But I will personally do all I can to get your family out, Ronald."  
  
He threw their wands back at them and watched as they trudged back into the castle. He saw the defiant tilt of Ron's head and knew that his friend would still try for his parents. He could only watch and wait.  
  
Later, in Dumbledore's office, Harry told him of Ron's plan. Dumbledore shook his head and Lupin commented that some of Harry's stubbornness must have rubbed of on him. Harry shot him a look and both of the older men laughed. "I won't let him go." Harry stated, "I tried to do something similar last year, remember?"  
  
Both the elder men clamed down and Dumbledore watched Harry quietly.  
  
"I shall watch your friends, Harry. And the rest of the DA."  
  
"Thank you, professor."  
  
Later, back at the Order's HQ, Harry finished his work and practiced his Occlumency. He had a feeling he would need it. Then he practiced the spells in his 'Standard book of Spells grade five.' He flicked to the last pages of the boo, bored with the spells he was trying, they were too easy. One especially caught his eye, Animagi and other Transforming spells. YES! This is what he needed!  
  
Dobby helped him repairnign the damage that he did to himself while mastering the spell, and for that Harry was extremely grateful. He didn't ant o spend his whole year with a hug furry nose.  
  
It was almost midnight a week later when he mastered it. There was a crack and to his surprise he was a stag. He had not meant to become a stag, but he thought it a fitting tribute to his father. He changed back, "Prongs rides again Dobby!"  
  
Dobby clapped his hands, "yes Sir Harry Potter sir! It is wonderful sir!"  
  
"Dobby, do you think that anyone can transform into two or more animals?"  
  
"Oh yes sir! There was a book at my old masters house sir. Bad Dobby, Bad Dobby!"  
  
Harry grabbed him to stop him hitting his head again.  
  
"Thank you Harry Potter sir."  
  
"You just need some practice."  
  
"Yes Sir Harry Potter sir."  
  
"You were saying"  
  
"The last spell in your book sir."  
  
Harry looked at it, and sure enough, it was on changing into a different sort of animal, even magical ones. Harry shut his eyes and ran his hand over the list of magical animals. He stopped his hand and opened his eyes. He had chosen a Pheonix.  
  
"It is a wise choice sir!" Dobby told him when he showed the elf.  
  
Harry tried the spell. It didn't work, and he tried it again. Dobby tried it and immediately turned into a Phoenix.  
  
"Huh?" asked Harry, "no fair!"  
  
"You were saying it wrong Harry Potter sir."  
  
Harry tried saying the spell again. It worked.  
  
Whoah! This is sooo cool!  
  
He turned back into a human and Dobby stared up at him with wide eyes.  
  
"Harry Potter sir is a black and silver Phoenix!"  
  
AN; well. What did you think? Tell me all. Is it belivable? Have I kept the characters in character? TELL ME!!! 


	7. Disobediance

AN; as usual, don't own Harry, wish I did, tell me what you think.  
  
Disobedience  
  
The door opened downstairs. Harry and Dobby went downstairs, just in time to greet Professor McGonagall.  
  
"Hello Professor! What brings you herer?"  
  
"Bad new I am afraid, Harry," the witch looked tired and out of sorts. Dobby got her a butter beer and Harry sat opposite her.  
  
"Your friends have done what you feared. They gave Hagrid the slip and have gone to The Death Eaters Hole. Now all five of them are trapped."  
  
"What?!!!"  
  
"That's what I said."  
  
"Is there anything we can do?"  
  
"No. if by some miracle they escaped the guards notice, sending someone from the order in would just alert them to the fact that there was something worng."  
  
Harry put his head in his hands. His mind was reeling. He was tired, having just been practicing his spells. Now he felt as if he had been run over.  
  
"That's exactly what I told them!" he grumbled.  
  
"Pardon?"  
  
"I told them that the order wouldn't be able to help them!" Harry's mind suddenly began to work again. None of the order could help.but perhaps he could. He lifted his head to ask the professor,  
  
"If I could do something, would Dumbledore let me go?"  
  
"I seriously doubt it."  
  
"Not even if I could do this?" Harry changed into the Stag, near startling the professor out of her wits.  
  
"When did you learn to do that?" she gasped amazed.  
  
Harry changed back, "earlier tonight. I skipped some of the standard book of spells."  
  
"Good heavens Potter, your solitude seems to have worked wonders!"  
  
"Maybe on my knowledge. Will you ask Dumbledore for me?"  
  
She shook her head, "I am sorry Harry, but the professor is out of the country at the moment. He was called away to Durmstang for a Headmaster council."  
  
Harry was astounded; she had actually called him by his first name!  
  
"Ok." He said quietly. "When will he be back?"  
  
"Three days. You can ask him then."  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
"Goodbye Mr Potter. Try not to worry."  
  
And the old witch was gone.  
  
"When will Mr Harry Potter Sir be leaving?" asked Dobby from the doorway.  
  
Harry laughed. "Now Dobby. Right now. I'll see you soon. Open the door for me."  
  
He pulled one of the spare brooms from the cupboard and tapped his head, settling the disillusionment charm over him. Dobby opened the door and he flew out and up, thankful for the warm night. He headed in the direction of Hogwarts, knowing that the DE's hole was on the other side of the mountains from the school.  
  
Three hours of flying and it wasn't jus his bottom that was sore. He shifted in his seat and angled for the ground. He had found the lake. Lupin had told him about this lake once. He said that in the middle was an island, like a miniature Azkaban. The only way to reach it was by air. The water was cursed. Lupin had been there once, and he hadn't gone into details, just said that he had been rescuing Neville's parents. Harry landed on the outskirts of the island and hid his broom in some rocks. The fortress of Hole stared down on him. Somewhere inside Ron, Hermione, Ginny, Neville and Luna were hidden. It would take a while to fin them.  
  
It wasn't hard to get inside. Wormtail was on duty (AN: need I say more?). but it was so dark inside that Harry had to stop and wait for his eyes to adjust. Then he was faced with an impossible decision. Which way to go? Right? Left? He turned Right, praying hard.  
  
***  
  
Lupin burst into Dumbledore's office with a horrified look on his face.  
  
"He's gone!" he cried, and it took a second for Professor Dumbledore to realize what he was talking about.  
  
"Wha-at?"  
  
"He took a broom and now he's gone!" Dumbledore's face lost all colour. He sank into his chair.  
  
"Minerva." He called, there was a whoosh and professor McGonagall stepped out of the fire place.  
  
"Yes, Albus? What are you doing back so early?"  
  
"I want you to call all of the parents of the missing children in, that is, Mr and Mrs Lovegood, Mr and Mrs Granger, Mrs Longbottom, and Chalrie and Bill Weasley if they can ge away."  
  
"Yes Albus. Whats worng?"  
  
"Harry has gone after his friends."  
  
The lady paled and Lupin looked from one to the other, wondering what he was missing, "what am I am I missing?" he demanded.  
  
"I head the prophecy years ago." Dumbledore confessed. "It's either Harry kills Voldmort or Voldemort kills Harry."  
  
"And he knows this? My god, no wonder he has been so depressed lately. That on top of losing Sirius.I'm surprised it didn't send him around the corner!" exclaimed Lupin.  
  
"I'm not so sure it hasn't." said Dumbledore quietly. "He hasn't been acting normally for the last month."  
  
"I think I know the answer to that one," said Professor McGonagall unexpectedly, "he has been practicing some rather advanced spells in that little house. He is now and animagi. Prongs rides again." She added with a quick glance at Lupin.  
  
"Well that explains why he was so cagey the last couple of times I was there." Said Lupin thoughtfully, but he was smiling.  
  
"Like I said, not a bad mind." Said the Sorting Hat from the shelf.  
  
The three adults gave the hat a look and I t slumped down again. Fawkes whistled a little, the phoenix equivalent of a laugh.  
  
McGonagall departed to write to the parents and brothers of those concerned.  
  
"What else can we do?" asked Lupin anxiously.  
  
"Nothing but wait." Said Dumbledore heavily.  
  
***  
  
That's exactly what Harry did. For three days. He waited and watched, listened and hoped. The third day he found Hermione. She was in a cell by herself, slumped in the corner. From what Harry could see through the door she was a little bloody and very pale.  
  
AN; he he he hehe ! what do you think? CLIFFHANGER! Hehe. Tell me what you think!! 


	8. this one doesn't have a name u name it!

AN; this story has gone out of control. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!  
  
I DON"T OWN HARRY AND THIS IS THE LAST TIME I WILL WRITE THAT..SEVEN TIMES IS ENOUGH DON'T U THINK?  
  
Also, thank you to you reviewers. Someone told me that this was like the real story, and that is like the best praise you could ever give me so thanks an awful lot. ^_^! On with chapter seven.Rescue? Wat do u guys think I should call it?  
  
Read on and tell me.  
  
Ya know, the worst thing about writing stories is that it takes half the time to read a story than it does to write it. Be patient, pretty please!  
  
CHAPTER 7. (No name.yet. ^_^ )  
  
The fourth day that Harry spent in the Hole was an informative one. He over heard two of the death eaters.  
  
"Why haven't we killed those kids?"  
  
"Because we're waiting for the rescue mission."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Potter will be with the rescue mission. The Dark Lord wants him."  
  
Harry went cold. This was all a set up! Then he frowned, the death Eaters knew he was alive?  
  
The death Eaters continued, "The bait for the children was the parents. Whats funny is that they were never here. It was all a lie to get the Order." The two continued on their way, unaware of their invisible listener.  
  
Harry was at a loss for what to do. He knew where Hermione was. He knew she was alive. But he didn't know where Ron, Ginny, Neville or Luna were. He had to find them before he did anything. He tried to remember what Lupin had told him. The werewolf had said that once you were on the island and past the guards that it was easy to stay out of the way. Voldemort spent very little time on the island, having had a bad experience there when he was still Tom Riddle. Lupin had also said that there wasn't any spells on the actual building, because repairing the place gave the death Eaters something to do, and kept them firmly under Voldemort's heel. Harry couldn't imagine Lucius Malfoy doing dirty work, but then again, he had been terrified of the Dark Lord when he returned at the grave yard. Harry shook his head; he wasn't going to sit around and mope, thinking of Sirius and Cedric's deaths. It would only make him feel worse. He was suddenly glad that he had kept practicing Occlumency.  
  
He paced down a corridor swiftly and silently. The fact that there had been no spells on the building when Lupin had visited after the dark lords fall 16years ago didn't mean that there weren't any there now. He found a secluded corner and tried all the anti charms he could think of, ending it all of by blowing a small hole in the wall. He grinned, feeling reckless. If the Death Eaters wanted to work, he would give them work.  
  
The Death Eaters (poor things ^_-) didn't know what hit them. The Hole was suddenly very drafty, especially on the upper floors. They spent almost all their spare time fixing holes in the walls. With all this activity going on upstairs, Harry almost felt confident enough to take of the Disillusionment Spell, but not quite. Four days of barely any sleep were catching up with him, and he was moving slower and slower. That changed on the fifth day, when he found the others. They were surprisingly in the same cell, and he heard their voices echoing down the dark and damp corridor before he found the cell. He almost shouted at them that he was here. He didn't, recognizing frayed nerves and a near hysteria state of mind. What he did was sit down in the wet, dark corridor and cry. Yes, Harry Potter, the-boy- who-lived, head of DA, and fighter of the Dark Arts, actually sat down and silently sobbed his heart out with relief for about ten minutes. He hadn't realized how much these people meant to him earlier, but he had had bad and good times. The bad times just made him appreciate the good times even more.  
  
He did, in fact, feel a lot better after a little (^_-) cry. Not that he would admit it to anyone but himself, and he decided that crying was a thing guys should do more often. Then he went back to Hermione's cell, having memorized where it was yesterday. On the way he made an interesting discovery, one that he knew might be their way off the island. There was a herd of Thestral's on the Hole. They looked tired and undernourished, and Harry, remembering what Hagrid had told him about them last year, approached them carefully. One male looked up at him quizzically as he approached, and Harry realized that they could see him.  
  
What do you want here, stranger? Asked the male.  
  
"I-uh-um.would you like to leave this place?" asked Harry, flustered.  
  
Where would one go youngling? One/we have no other home.  
  
"I know a place, over those mountains where your kind are taken care of and not hindered at all, save drawing a coach twice a year." Said Harry earnestly, surprised that the beast was so open to it.  
  
Take me there! Demanded one of the young ones, unfurling its wings.  
  
Harry held up his hands in a wait gesture, "I would ask something in return of taking you there, if that is acceptable?"  
  
Name your terms and one shall see. Said the first male.  
  
"I have six friends trapped inside that building." The Thestrals hissed,  
  
One will not aid those in thee!  
  
"I am not asking you to. They have taken some of my friend's hostage, and all I want you to do is fly me and them to the place where I will take you."  
  
One finds that acceptable.  
  
Harry had expected negotiating with Thestrals to be harder than this. He had though that they might be rather like Buckbeak.  
  
"Thank you very much!" he exclaimed, "Please don't go far!" he hurried back into the Hole, astounded by his luck. He went to Hermione's cell first, and used the stronger spell for unlocking the door, and it burst open with a small shower of sparks. Harry was quite impressed; that was the first time he had ever used that spell.  
  
Hermione was in a corner, staring at the open door.  
  
"Hermione?" asked Harry quietly, shutting the door and going over to her, bending down in front of her.  
  
"Who's there?" she asked shakily.  
  
Harry shook his head at himself, living invisible was natural to him after five days of it, and tapped his head with is wand. Hermione watched with amazement as the spell trickled down his body, revealing a boy she had thought dead.  
  
"Harry?" Harry sat down next to her and nodded,  
  
"I survived the attack on the Dursleys. I've been hiding at the Phoenix's headquarters."  
  
"You're dead." Hermione didn't seem to be hearing him.  
  
Harry shook his head, "No, that's what everyone thought."  
  
"This is crazy. It's a hallucination. They must have put a spell on me." She put her head in her hands and began to cry. Harry, after an awkward pause put his arms around her.  
  
"It's ok." He told her quietly, "its time to get out of here."  
  
"Youre real?"  
  
"Last time I checked."  
  
"Oh, I don't believe it!" she wrapped her arms around his neck, almost choking him and began to cry harder.  
  
"Come on girl, lets get the others." Said Harry patting her gently.  
  
"I can't Harry, oh why do you think that they put me in here? They've done something to my ankles. I can't walk because I tried to curse them."  
  
"That's ok, I'll carry you. We have to get out of here soon."  
  
"Is there a time limit?"  
  
"No, but the quicker the better." Harry scooped her up, surprised at light she was.  
  
"Have you been eating properly?" he murmured as they excited the spell and hurried down the hall. He was so happy to be talking to his friend again that he almost forgot where he was. Almost.  
  
The looks on the others face's were comic. They stared at the door as it opened, their mouths fell open when they saw Harry carrying Hermione.  
  
"No way!" cried Ron, jumping to his feet.  
  
"shhhh!" hissed Harry, "come on, I'll explain later. Follow me, and for heavens sake be quiet!"  
  
"What about mum and Dad?" demanded Ron, "i want to get them!"  
  
"They were never here, and keep ypur voice down!" hissed Harry.  
  
"What?"  
  
"It was all a set up to get me to go after you!"  
  
Ron was about to ask more questions when Hermione shushed him from Harry's arms.  
  
"Follow me," said Harry hurrying along a dark corridor.  
  
The Thestrals were waiting, and Luna had to explain in her dreamy voice what Harry was talking to. Seconds later, Ron and Ginny were in the air, and Harry was lifting Hermione onto one, watching Neville's attempts to mount behind Luna with one eye and the path to The Hole with the other. He made sure Hermione was balanced and then ran to help Neville. When Neville was safely on the flying beast, he turned back to jump on behind Hermione when a cold creeping feeling over came him, "Shit! Neville, Luna, go! Dementors!" They were up in the air with the other circling Thestrals and following Ron and Ginny when a thin, grey hand reached out of the darkness to grab Harry. Hermione screamed a warning, and Harry whirled, bringing his wand up to bear.  
  
A Dementor grabbed his wrist and twisted it so fast that he fell to his knees. Hermione's screams where fading, along with everything else. He tried to conjure up a happy thought, but his brain wasn't working, and he could hear his mother again. Don't kill Harry, please! Harry tried to bring up his wand. His hand wouldn't work. He saw the Dementor bending over him. He knew what was coming. He would end up like Mr and Mrs Longbottom. Knowing nothing, understanding nothing. He would never see his friends again. When that thought jumped into his head something inside him rebelled. He felt his wand suddenly turn white hot, but couldn't drop it. Then everything went pure white.  
  
AN; aren't I mean? ^_^ tell me what you think I should call this chapter! 


	9. Power

AN; disclaimer? There isn't one. See last chapter. I'm going to waffle on right now. Just because I know u want to get on with the story. By the way, if I spell any of the spells etc wrong, let me know! And I'm sorry for all the other spelling mistakes too, I will fix them.sometime soon. Thanx for your reviews. U guys rock. Huh? Oh. Alright. I'll get on with it.hehehe!  
  
Chapter nine..Power!  
  
This is what Hermione saw when the Dementor attacked Harry. The boy fell to his knees when the Dementor grabbed him, and then collapsed completely. The Dementor bent over him. She screamed, wishing for a wand. Suddenly a bright light shone from Harry's wand. It was glowing white, still in Harry's hand. Then she saw Harry's head drop. He had given up. The Thestral underneath her leapt into the air. Hermione screamed at it to go back, but it just hovered in place. A second later she saw why. The island was shaking. Rocks were falling. The light from Harry's wand grew and grew until she couldn't see him any more. It turned into a beam of pure white light that split the heavens. Far away, the other four saw it and stared. Hermione screamed Harry's name again, as the light faded.  
  
Harry was lying on his back amongst the rocks. The Dementor was no where to be seen. Harry was so pale that at first Hermione thought he might be dead, but then he rolled on to his side, then to his feet. The Thestral landed, and Harry jumped on behind her. Then they were flying. On their way to Hogwarts with an honour guard of Thestrals.  
  
It was close to midnight when they landed on the lawn surrounding the whomping willow. The Thestrals quickly realized that the forest was their new home, and they disappeared inside. Harry and Ron helped Hermione up the hill towards the castle, with Ginny, Neville and Luna trailing behind. Ron was watching Harry out of the corner of his eye, and as Harry found this rather annoying he asked, "What's up?"  
  
"You look terrible. Your face is so white, and your eyes are red!" Ron exclaimed.  
  
"I was attacked by a Dementor."  
  
Ron went pale under his freckles, "Are you alright?"  
  
"Not really, I didn't have any chocolate with me." Harry made a feeble joke.  
  
"that's not funny!" said Neville.  
  
"Sorry, come on, I think your parents are here."  
  
The six tired teenagers went to Dumbledore's office, and they heard Mrs Weasley before they saw her. Harry opened the door, and the six of them stared at the sight that greeted them. Mrs Weasley was screaming, apparently very angry. What surprised the teenagers even more was that this endless complaint was directed at Dumbledore, who looked extremely tired.  
  
"If you had watched them better this wouldn't have happened!" Mrs Weasley was screaming.  
  
"Mum!" said Ron in exactly the same moment that Harry said, "Mrs Weasley!"  
  
It was Harry continued as the adults were all openmouthed.  
  
"There is no one to blame for this! Voldemort set it all up! It was a ploy to get at The Order of The Phoenix." He thought that adding 'and me' would be a little too grandiose, so didn't.  
  
Mrs Weasley wasn't really listening, though the other members of the OotP were. Mrs Weasley was hugging her son and daughter, along with her husband. Mrs and Mrs Granger were taking Hermione from Harry, and hugging her, the same with Luna's parents, and Nevilles grandmother. Harry felt quite alone, so he stepped into the room further and said over the hum of anxious parents, "I overheard two of the Death Eaters talking. It was all a set up."  
  
"A set up? Minerva, who gave us that information?" asked Dumbledore  
  
"Mundungus." Harry frowned, he didn't like Mundungus at all. Mostly because he had let his house be attacked. Twice. "I'll call him in."  
  
Professor McGonagall disappeared down the stair well. Harry suddenly began to feel dizzy in the warm room and supposed it must have been the days of sleeplessness catching up with him. Then he remembered the Dementor attack.  
  
"Professor, the Death Eaters have done something to Hermione's legs. She can't walk."  
  
"I'll get Madame Pomfrey." Said Lupin, leaving, patting Harry's shoulder as he did so.  
  
"What happened?" asked Dumbledore, taking in Harry's torn clothes and cut hands, Hermione's blood arms and Neville's pale face. 


	10. Occlumency

AN; this is the TENTH exciting installment of Harry Potter and The Beginning of the end.I realllllllly don't like that title, so suggest a new one(s) and I will change it if I like it.perhaps Harry Potter and the Black and Silver Phoenix? Or Harry Potter the Black and Silver Phoenix? Or Rising from the Ashes? What do you think? I like that one. Rising from the ashes...TELL ME!!!!  
  
Also, an answer to Dweem-angel, I have so many reviews for this story cus it's in a popular category, I think, and the fact that I'm such a good writer!! ^_^ or not. And to Tropic, thanx 4 ur suggestions, I'll change the name when I can ^_^!  
  
Chapter Ten..I am proud, its like a decade of Harry Potter.now wouldn't that be something?? (^_^)  
  
At the Hospital wing Harry told Madame Pomfrey about his pounding head. She asked a lot of questions before giving him a sleeping draft. He drifted of to a dreamless, peaceful sleep.  
  
It was morning when he awoke, a shaft of sunlight was filtering through the window, and it was very early still, there was no noise of children going past on their way to breakfast yet. He lay there silently for a few minutes, knowing that he could get away with it. He never slept in in Privet Drive because Aunt Petunia always woke him to make breakfast, and at Grimauld place Dobby was always nagging him to do his schoolwork if he tried to sleep in.  
  
He frowned at the high ceiling above him. He was exhausted, not in body, in fact he felt terrific body wise, but in spirit. It felt like he had been on full throttle since the day almost two years ago now, when Cedric had died and Lord Voldemort had risen again. He had either been worrying or running since then, and today was the first time in about six moths that he had woken up naturally, with no dream to disturb him.  
  
Then his head began to pound again, and he shut his eyes tightly to try and block out the sudden pain. Then to his surprise, he saw a door. A big heavy door, floating inside his closed lids. It was bolted shut and looked impenetrable. There was banging coming from the other side of the door. Harry listened to the muttering that was going on, 'damn boy. Nagini, who was that? Kill them. I don't want any interruptions.' Harry sat up, his eyes opening in shock. Voldemort was trying to get inside his head again. Like he had last year!  
  
He rolled out of bed, and pulled on his new robes. They were all black, with a red and gold H embroidered on the cloaks breast. He didn't notice. The pounding in his head had redoubled. Voldemort, perhaps sensing that Harry was aware of him, was beating against the barrier Harry had erected using Ocllumency. Harry gripped his head as he staggered along, his scar burning. His vision began to blur, and he staggered. Then the ground tipped and he collapsed to his knees. He heard a voice above Voldemorts screams inside his head.  
  
"Potter? What do you think you're doing?" he recognized the voice as belonging too Professor (guess, go on, guess!) Severus Snape, before the ground smacked him on the side of the head.  
  
AN: AM I EVIL OR NOT??? TELL ME WHATS HAPPENING BECAUSE I DON"T KNOW...i think it has something to do with Occlumency....yes, thats it! Tell me wat u think should happen, I am at a loss for wat to do now!!! 


	11. For once its not really a cliffie

Nothing to say except thanx for your reviews and R&R!  
  
Oh, yeah, I have added some more to chapter nine, so all of you who were waiting for me to update, please go back and read at least the last half of it. ^_^ thanx. Harry eleven. Wow!  
  
When harry woke he was again in the hospital wing, but fully dressed this time. Madame Pomfrey was bending over him with a stern expression on her face.  
  
"I think you should return to Grimald Place, Mister Potter. The excitement here seems to be too much for you."  
  
Harry sat up, wincing. His head was incredibly sore, "its not that." He muttered, "its bl**** Voldemort."  
  
The witch started a little at the name, and Harry continued, "one of the Death Eaters just died, I think. The dark Lord asked his snake to kill them."  
  
"Did I hear you correctly Harry?" asked Dumbledore, coming in from the hall.  
  
"Yes sir. Voldemort was trying to take over, like at the Ministry."  
  
"Has he?"  
  
Harry blinked, and then shut his eyes. The door was considerably weakened, but it still held.  
  
He opened his eyes, "weak. But it's held." Dumbledore nodded as if he knew what harry was talking about. Madame Pomfrey 'humphed' and walked away, to were the others were still sleeping.  
  
"Have you been practicing Occlumeny?" asked Dumbledore urgently. Harry nodded, "every evening."  
  
"Good. Keep practicing. I have a feeling that the days of relative peace are numbered. You will return to Grimauld Place, and your friends will have their memories changed,"  
  
"But will that do any good? The Death Eaters were expecting me. Surely Voldemort knows that I'm alive!"  
  
"I think Tom hopes you are Harry, hopes because he badly wants to kill you himself. The Death Eaters bungled when they attacked your house. They were simply meant to scare you and the Dursleys, and by doing so, they knew we would move you further into the wizarding world, where you would be easier to get at, so to speak."  
  
"But that's exactly what happened!"  
  
Dumbledore held up a hand, "ah, but there was no word of you for three months, remember? And The Daily Prophet was screaming your death for two."  
  
"Oh, I see."  
  
"Yes. The best thing was, of course, that every one who knew you grieved for you, and grief cannot be faked well."  
  
"You knew, though, didn't you sir?"  
  
Dumbledore sighed, and nodded, and Harry wondered what was wrong.  
  
"I hoped Harry. I hoped with every fiber of my being. There was, as morbid as it sounds no remains of you at Privet Drive. I could only think of two possible explanations. One, you had been taken by the Death Eaters, and two, you had some how got away. Since the attacks on Muggle borns and Muggles continued, I had to hope it was the later."  
  
Harry nodded, he would have hoped for the later too.  
  
"As it is," continued Dumbledore, brightening a little, the flash back in his eyes, "you escaped with nothing but a few more scars to add to your collection."  
  
Harry glanced down at his arm, at the thin scars that crossed it, remembering the broken window at Privet Drive.  
  
"Yay." He muttered. Dumbledore chuckled, and continued, "I want you to keep on practicing your Occlumency, Harry. It is very important, as you found today and last year at the ministry."  
  
Anything to do with Sirirus's death made Harry uncomfortable.  
  
"So do I have to go back to Grimauld Place now?"  
  
"Only for a little while Harry. Unless my instinct is wrong, the end may be coming very soon."  
  
'Oh dear' thought Harry, as the venerable old man left. 'murder on not to murder? That is now the question'.  
  
AN; hehehehehehehehehehehelp! I don't know where to go from here! I have major Writers block! 


	12. Black Phoenix redone, sorry guys!

Omigod I am soooooo embarrassed! Oh well, I've fixed it all up now. I think. Fancy uploading the same chapter twice. Ya know, if u guys hadn't told me I would have had no idea. Thanx a lot!! ^_^!  
  
WEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! Thanx for your answers on the 'what should I name this story?' question, I have decided that Rising from the Ashes will be its new name, but, as some1 said, it would be confusing to change it just yet, so I'll leave it as it is, for the moment anyway. that of course doesn't change the fact that I have writers block. Bear with me, please. And if any one has an aversion to Harry and Hermione stories, please let me know, because I think that's just what this one will turn out to be.! ^_^  
  
Harry and The Beginning of the End (Rising from the Ashes!^_^)  
  
Harry didn't go back to Grimauld Place right away. He stayed at Hogwarts for another month. Dumbledore taught him more Occlumency in that short month than Snape had in a year. It was very hard work to keep Dumbledore out, and Harry almost always made a trip to see Madame Pomfrey afterwards, asking for a head ache draft. But he did feel better and more confident about keeping the Dark Lord out now. He could now not just defend using Occlumency as well, he could go on the offensive, which meant he could read other peoples minds, which he hoped would come in handy. Dumbledore taught him to listen to someone's brain and listen to the signal the brain was sending to the rest of the body. If someone was going to throw something at him, Harry could either duck out of the way or catch it. He knew that would come in handy when he next met Voldemort again. For him, it wasn't a question of if, but when and how. He wondered over that often, when he would next meet Voldemort face to face, whether that would be the time when Harry showed Voldemort what a real wizard could do.  
  
He could only wait, but even at Hogwarts it was an uneasy one. The death Eaters had been quiet of late. There was nothing about them in the news, and none of the Order had a clue as to what was going on, Lupin and Tonks least of all. They visited the Castle often during the month, often only stopping for a rest or to tell Dumbledore something. Harry wished he was privy to the comings and goings, but he knew if Dumbledore thought that he needed to know anything, he would tell. Dumbledore was determined not to make the same mistake twice, lest he suffer Harry's wrath again. Or at least, that's what Harry liked to think.  
  
Hermione, Ron, Ginny, Neville and Luna had all had their memories altered, to Harry's disappointment. The brief three or four hours he had spent in their company had only served to remind him of how lonely he had become. But there was a bright spot, on her third visit to the castle Tonks told Harry the answer to the question that he had asked so long ago.  
  
"You have some small metamorphagus talent, Harry."  
  
After Harry had calmed down, she explained that he would never be quite as good as she was, because of their being less of the gift, but he would be able to do simple things, like change his air length and colour, and his eyes. He wouldn't be able to change his bone structure, but he could make himself look very different.  
  
He practiced hard, and was soon able to leave the hospital wing without having to bother with the disillusionment charm. He went around as a blond often, and sometimes brown. He actually bumped into Snape, and to his delight the slimy git didn't recognize him.  
  
Then the happy month was over, and he was to return to Grimauld Place the next day. He wasn't upset or angry about it, just resigned. He said goodbye and thank you to Madame Pomfrey and everyone else, and then picked up the Port Key and went back to the Head quarters of The Order Of the Phoenix.  
  
Dobby was waiting, with a hug.  
  
"Harry Potter Sir has come home!"  
  
Harry wasn't really listening to Dobby, his attention had been caught by Winky.  
  
"Hello Winky, how are you?"  
  
"I am fine thank you Harry Potter Sir." Said Winky in rehearsed monotones.  
  
"What's happened while I was away Dobby? Anything?"  
  
"No sir. Just business as usual sir."  
  
"I might have known." Sighed Harry.  
  
That night he dreamed again. He was standing in the shadowy corner of the room, totally hidden by the darkness. He watched as the Dark Lord paced up and down on the old rug. He didn't know where he was but he knew he didn't want to be there. Wormtail was kneeling on the floor, sobbing quietly. Harry spared a moment of pity for the pathetic little rat before the Dark Lord spoke,  
  
"Bungling fool. I should have known better than to trust you with something as important as guarding our isle. No matter. I shall not make that mistake again. It is obvious who Potter cares for most now. His pathetic group of friends." The evil wizard laughed, "The looks on their faces when they saw me!"  
  
Even though he was asleep, Harry knew that this was really happening, or had happened. He wondered why none of them had mentioned it, but reminded himself that he had only spent a little while with them.  
  
"The memory charm did its work though; none of them can remember a thing." Added the Dark Lord as he circled the weeping Wormtail.  
  
Now Harry was confused.  
  
"Well, at least they can't remember telling me where the Order's headquarters are." The evil cackle that accompanied that statement woke Harry.  
  
He sat up in his bed, stared wildly around for a second before casting an impenetrable spell at his window. Then he bounded downstairs, careful to miss the creaky steps. He flicked an impenetrable spell at the door, and woke Dobby and Winky with a hurried whisper about what he hoped was not going to happen.  
  
With Dobby and Winky helping him, Harry got all the windows and outside walls of number 12 Grimauld place sealed to with stand a small explosion. Harry wished he had read all the standard book of spells grade six now. There was definitely a more advanced spell than the one he was using. Then something occurred to him.  
  
"Dobby, can you shrink my trunk?"  
  
"Yes sir," dobby was confused, but he bought the trunk back the size of a matchbox and Harry smiled at him, "and my broom?"  
  
Dobby obeyed.  
  
"If I leave will you and Winky be ok?"  
  
In answer, Winky disappeared and reappeared behind him. Dobby nodded, "yes sir."  
  
"Good. I'm going to turn into my Phoenix shape now. I'll have the broom and the trunk in my pocket. I'll go straight to Hogwarts." Then Harry remembered Hedwig. He ran up stairs to grab her.  
  
Once downstairs he asked Hedwig to lead him to Hogwarts before he transformed, Dobby opened a window for them and they were on their way, which was a good thing, because Harry saw figures moving in the next door neighbours garden, wearing black robes.  
  
Then he spread his wings and got used to the extraordinary feeling of flying, following his owl through the inky black night.  
  
AN; well, what did you think? Tell me about what you think of the Harry and Hermione slant I think I'll put on things. And does anyone feel that this story is a bit clichéd? My brother thinks so (but what would he know, huh?), but it's up to u guys to tell me whether or not u think it's stupid. 


	13. Arrival

AN; lets hope I don't make the same mistake twice.like uploading this chapter twice. Man, I fell like an idiot!  
  
Thanks to; HarryGryffinGirl  
  
Keyblademaster44  
  
Fantasy 101 (I know who u are!)  
  
Blueberrie  
  
PaigeGirl-nee  
  
Dreamforever  
  
Emma Ackroyd  
  
For putting me on their fav stories list. Also, thankyou to everyone who has reviewed my story, I luv u all sooo much! Chapter 13 (wow!)  
  
Return to Hogwarts III ^_^  
  
It was cold, and the wind beat endlessly against his black and silver feathers. Flying was hard, and Harry could see from the despairing glances that Hedwig was giving him from time to time that he wasn't doing very well. It didn't matter though, not really. He got to Hogwarts, and that is what counts.  
  
He and Hedwig separated, Hedwig heading for a rest in the owlery and Harry for Dumbledore's office. Harry hoped Dumbledore would understand, and not think it was some ploy to get back to Hogwarts because he preferred it. Harry landed (with a great deal of difficulty) on the ledge outside Dumbledore's office and looking in he could see it was empty. He tapped with his beak on the window, still not used to seeing things totally differently (muggle bird and magical birds alike, they still have eyes on the side of their heads!). Fawkes saw him, and being the incredibly smart and clever Phoenix he was he hopped over and opened the window with a tug of his beak. Harry was glad that the window opened inwards, or he would have fallen. He hopped in with what he hoped was an appreciative cheep of thanks. Fawkes watched him with an amused air for a second, and then fluttered back to his perch. There was a loud snoring noise, and Harry looked around to see all of the portraits were asleep. Fawkes rustled his tail a little to get more comfortable on his perch, and Harry, wondering what his tail looked like, craned his head to see. It was no good; he just couldn't bend his head back far enough. He tried the other side, no luck. Then, by a belived-at-the-time-to-be-a-stroke-of-brillance he looked underneath along the curve of his belly (breast (?)) and just managed to trip himself, ending sprawled up on the floor. Fawkes, who had been watching these antics, fell into the pile of ashes under him, with a very human like snort of laughter. Harry glared at his red and gold clone for a second, and then changed back to Harry Potter (the human one). He had heard footsteps, and more than on pair. Pulling his cloak over his face quickly he stepped into the shadows behind Dumbledore's desk, hoping that the people coming would be Order people, he did not want to explain how he got there to one of the non-Order teachers.  
  
The door opened and Albus Dumbledore stepped into the room, followed closely by Minerva McGonagall, Arthur Weasley, Molly Weasley, Kingsley, Nymphadora Tonks, Alastor Moody, and, to Harry's never ending annoyance, Severus Snape. Dumbledore showed very little surprise on seeing him, but everyone else stared. Harry felt very relieved, and took of his cloak.  
  
"Number 12 Grimauld place has been attacked." He told them, watching their reactions with mild interest, the two Weasleys started, Kingsley swore under his breath, Tonks swore loudly, Moody muttered something about 'not enough hiding spells', and McGonagall grimaced.  
  
Harry thought he had better tell them the rest, "apparently when Ron, Ginny, Hermione, Neville and Luna went looking for you, Mr and Mrs Weasley, the Death Eaters found out where the Order's HQ is."  
  
"What?" started Dumbledore, and McGonagall hurried out the door to, Harry assumed, get Ron, Neville, Ginny, Luna and Hermione.  
  
"That's what I said." Said Harry, "I saw Voldemort talking to Wormtail." Kingsley and Snape flinched at the name and Snape hissed, "Don't say his name!!"  
  
Harry was just about to quote Dumbledore at him when the five teenagers arrived. They were all looking a little tired, and were wearing their pyjamas and dressing gowns. Harry wondered how McGonagall had got Ron out of bed so quickly.  
  
They didn't recognise him at first; actually, they didn't notice him at all, as he was standing at the back of a room full of adults.  
  
"Mum! Dad! What are you doing here?" asked Ron as he was ushered in.  
  
"What have we done now?" asked Ginny in her best I-don't-know-what-I've- done-yet-but-I-deny-it-categorically voice.  
  
"That is what we would like to know," said Dumbledore, and seats appeared for them. They sat down and Dumbledore told them that he was going to perform an anti-memory charm spell on them. They were puzzled until Hermione spoke up, light dawning on her face, "we've done something that you made us forget, but now we need to remember it!'  
  
Dumbledore nodded, "five points to Gryffindor, I think."  
  
Harry watched curiously as the spells were performed. His friends fainted one by one, slumped in their chairs. "Will they be alright?" asked Mrs Weasley anxiously bending over the only two of her children left at Hogwarts.  
  
"They will be fine, but perhaps a little muddled when they wake up."  
  
Ron was the first to come round. He rubbed his head a minute, and then sat up a little.  
  
"What the-?"  
  
"Mr Weasley, I believe you now remember spending a short space of time on a particularly rough island?"  
  
"Hole." Grumbled Ron.  
  
"Exactly, now, tell me, what exactly happened there?"  
  
"They asked a lot of questions."  
  
"What kind of questions?"  
  
"Where is the Orders hq." Ron realised what he was saying, and jumped to his feet. "Oh boy! Grimauld place is going to be attacked!"  
  
"It already has been my boy, no thanks to you." Grumbled Moody, which Harry thought was a little unfair. After all, it could be argued that since Moody let himself be taken by Barty Crouch last year that it was his fault that the Dark Lord had returned.  
  
"What? But Harry!" yelped Ron, who still hadn't noticed Harry standing behind professor Dumbledore.  
  
"I'm fine Ron, I had prior warning."  
  
Ron stared at him for a second, then jumped up and gave him a quick hug.  
  
"Good to see you!" he grinned, and Harry wished he was taller, Ron nearly dwarfed him now.  
  
The others were coming around now, and Harry chuckled at his friend's faces as they remembered what was going on, what had been going on and saw him.  
  
Hermione and Ginny hugged him, Luna shook his hand and Neville clapped him on the back.  
  
"Did they ask any other questions?" asked Dumbledore urgently, leaning forward over the desk.  
  
Ginny shook her head, "all the questions I remember were about the Order, who was in it etc. I had to answer." She began to dry and her mother hugged her, "they said they would kill the others if I didn't."  
  
"That's alright Miss Weasley, I'm sure we would have done the same thing in your position." Dumbledore assured her.  
  
"So that's how they knew who we all were." Grumbled Moody, obviously not as forgiving as Dumbledore.  
  
"Alright," said Dumbledore, "children I want you all to go see Madame Pomfrey."  
  
The others were escorted out an Harry watched them go longingly, wishing once again for a return to school life.  
  
While he thought wistfully about it Dumbledore gave orders to the Order members and they left hurriedly. Soon only Harry, Moody and Dumbledore and Fawkes remained. Dumbledore and Moody were talking quietly, so Harry wandered over to Fawkes and scratched him behind his plume.  
  
"You won't tell anyone about my little accident, now will you, Fawkes?" he asked, simply to make conversation. He didn't particularly care if the whole world saw him fall over his own tail feathers. The door clicked shut and Harry turned to find that Mad-eye Moody was gone.  
  
Dumbledore sat behind his desk, looking rather tired, Harry thought, but what else was new?  
  
"Harry, I forgot to ask you, how did you get here?"  
  
"I flew."  
  
"I see no broom."  
  
"Not that kind of flying."  
  
"I see." He obviously didn't really so Harry showed him, and the Headmasters only comment was, "I like the colours."  
  
"Professor, since I have nothing to do.and I can change into forms that the Death Eaters don't know about; could I do something for the Order? I'm going Spare with nothing to do."  
  
Dumbledore watched him for a second with those sharp, blue eyes, measuring him.  
  
AN; well, that's it for chapter thirteen, hope u enjoyed it. I have had a couple of reviews telling me that it is confusing. Does anyone agree? I meant to make the first chappie confusing, but not the rest. Do I jump around a bit? Tell me! 


	14. Decisions

AN: Thankyou to everyone who has reviewed my story, I luv u all sooo much!  
  
HarryGryffinGirl Kala Black angeltears3 Weaver of Words kitten530 Doneril Sristi Amy Potter 13 Wanderingwolf Englishgirl DelPiero Hermionegreen Keyblademaster44 Hermione512 Blueberrie Mikee Katani Petitedra A.M.bookworm247 MollyJean Lady Arwen of Rivendell dweem-angel PaigeGirl-nee Chise2003 Dreamforever I-love-sirus73 Andromeda's kitty DaughterofDeath Shreve Tropic Virusgod Nimohtar Nickole Riddle Melindaleo Athenakitty Emma Ackroyd Discombobulatedperson TheFirstOne (u really know ur stuff man, I totally forgot about the Fedelius Charm. Thankyou for reminding me.I'm gonna hope no body else notices.actually, I think I've just thought of a way to get around it..yes, I think I have..or maybe not. oh well, I leave it as is, well, that is, unless u can think of a way to get around it? Anyone? Please? For more info check The First One's review, I can't be bothered typing it all up now.)  
  
And heaps and heaps of other people.  
  
By the way, I got a review telling me that it jumps from place to place too much. Sorry, I think so too. And to DelPiero, I don't know whether or not that this story will end up as a Harry/Hermione fic, I was just playing around with ideas, we shall see where the characters decide to go.I'm not in control anymore.  
  
Chapter 14.Decisions.  
  
"Yes, Harry, I will let you do something for the order, but not yet. I think its time you went back to school."  
  
Harry couldn't believe his ears, "really!"  
  
"Yes, but under no circumstances are you to reveal exactly what you have been up to to anyone besides Mr Weasley and Ms Granger."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
Dumbledore smiled, and Harry grinned back, "thankyou, sir."  
  
"Off you go Harry, to the hospital wing for now, I think."  
  
Harry woke late the next morning, and hurried to his first lesson, which just happened to be Care of Magical Creatures. With the Slytherins. Harry smiled tightly; he was going to enjoy this.  
  
That day Care of Magical Creatures lesson was in a classroom, as Hagrid was away and they had a stand in teacher, who just happened to be Professor Mcgonagall. Harry pushed the door open, ignored the surprised faces and apologised to Professor McGonagall,  
  
"I'm sorry I'm late professor, no excuse."  
  
She sniffed, "As it's your first day back I will let it go, I trust you can find your seat?" she gestured to the seat next to Hermione and Harry saw a ghost of a smile on her face. The look on Malfoy's face was priceless. It was somewhere between disbelief and rage, with a good deal of spite mixed in. Harry smiled widely at him, and sat down next Hermione, who looked a little shocked, but very please. Ron leaned over and shook his hand, watching the look on Malfoy's face.  
  
"Good one mate."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Now, settle down, everyone, settle down, and take down these notes if you please." Interrupted Professor McGonagall. Harry, with a quick grin at his other friends in the room, bent his head to his work and the noise died down.  
  
As they left the class an hour later, Ron, Hermione and Harry wandered outside, Harry telling his two best friends what he he'd been up to since they had seen him last. They were sitting near the lake watching the giant squid swim lazily near the surface when a cold, drawling voice said from behind them,  
  
"So the famous Potter lives."  
  
Harry turned around; Malfoy and his two fat cohorts were behind him. "No thanks to your father's friends. Does he write letters from Azkaban?"  
  
Draco Malfoy went red, "I told you you'd pay, Potter."  
  
"And I told you, Lord Voldemort's just a warm up compared to you, is he?" he smiled fiercely as the three Slytherins flinched, "what's the matter Malfoy? Can't bear the name? But he is such a good friend of the family."  
  
"Just you wait Potter, just you wait. You're dead." "Not today Malfoy. Or anytime soon, I would imagine."  
  
Malfoy turned and strode angrily away, and Harry chuckled. Ron laughed, and Hermione wondered out loud, "I wonder if he will end up being an enemy to us when were grown up, like Snape, Lupin and-"  
  
She broke off with a nervous glance at Harry. He smiled at her, "its ok Hermione, you can say his name." He changed the subject quickly, because it was not ok, and he didn't want to be reminded of his mistakes at the moment, he was too happy to be home, "what have I missed here?"  
  
They told him. There wasn't much. Their new Defence teacher was Kingsley. Neville was getting top marks in Herbology..all in all, Harry thought that they had had a rather boring year.  
  
"we have to liven things up a little." He lay back in the sun and began to think.  
  
"Harry, is that wise?"  
  
"Just jokes, Hermione, nothing serious, I think that we should become the next generation of marauders. After Fed and George, that is."  
  
"Hey!" yelped Ron suddenly, " Fred and George! They can help us! We'll get them to send us some of their joke stuff! They will send it to us free 'cus Harry gave them the money! We can test all their new stuff! I've been dying to do that for ages!"  
  
"Your mother won't approve." Scolded Hermione.  
  
"Mrs Weasley won't know. Besides, we'll be doing harmless stuff. Like." Harry cast about for an idea, and turned to their encounter with Malfoy for inspiration, "like colouring Malfoy's hair Gryffindor colours!" he exclaimed.  
  
"How?" asked Hermione, beginning to get excited.  
  
"The same way I decorated the walls at Grimauld Place! With household spells!"  
  
"You decorated the walls at Grimauld place?" asked Ron, looking a little confused. "Since when?"  
  
"I got bored. I thought I would cheer the place up a little."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Well, I used the same spell that whoever created the Great Hall.I just made clouds and stuff though. And they don't move very well." Said Harry truthfully.  
  
"So we're going to change Malfoy's hair to red and gold. I like it. When?" Ginny had appeared behind them, and sat down next Hermione. Neville sat down next to Ron, grinning at the surprise on their faces.  
  
"Soon. But first, I think a little testing is in order." Said Hermione, taking charge, "we need to try something similar.like.um.. How about we bewitch the ceiling of the common room? That would be fun, and there's a Gryffindor versus Slytherin match coming up."  
  
Harry glanced at Ginny, who smiled, "You're Firebolt is fine Harry. I took care of it, you can have it back, I'm not at all confident as seeker either, so I'll just take over Chaser and Angelina can be Keeper."  
  
"great! The thing I missed most about here was the Quidditch."  
  
Hermione hit his right arm, Ron his left.  
  
"OW! Ow! Hey! Ok, ok! Yikes! The thing I missed most about here besides my friends was Quidditch! Gee, you guys are vicious! What?"  
  
Ginny, Neville and Ron were rolling around, laughing.  
  
AN; there you go. Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but ive had the Flu so SORRY SORRY. And as for the order of the chapters, I stupidly told some one what my password was, and they changed the chapters around on me. They are in the right order now. Sorry. (sick of seeing that word yet?")  
  
REVIEW! I'm trying to get 100 reviews. Plz plz review, even if u thought the story was crap! 


	15. Tricksters Choice

An; new chappie! Yay! Review plz, even if u r sick of it, plz plz review. I WANT ONE HUNDRED!!!  
  
Chapter 15 Tricksters choice  
  
The next night when Harry was waiting for Hermione and Ron to do their homework (he had done his already) an idea came to him. Hermione was tapping her nails on the table where she sat while reading something about ancient runes. Harry watched them, tap, tap, tap. Then he thought of something. He pulled his wand from his pocket and waved it over his friend's hand. Her nail immediately changed colour, turning red and gold. The colour's swirled and twisted on her finger nails looking like a mini time warp that he had seen in a movie once, except this one was red and gold.  
  
"What the-?" began Hermione, staring at her fingers, "Wow! How cool!"  
  
"I'm thinking we should do that to Malfoy." Said Harry as Ron's head appeared from where he had been writing behind a stack of books.  
  
"At the Gryffindor versus Slytherin match?"  
  
"Yep."  
  
"I can't wait," said Ron, a dreamy look on his face, "first of all, having nail polish on your nails is a girls thing, second, its Gryffindor colours!" he grinned, "this is going to be almost as good as watching Moody bounce him around in his ferret shape!"  
  
"Wow! Hermione, ho did you do that to your nails?" Parvati Patil had seen Hermione's nails and had come over, dragging Lavender with her.  
  
"Harry did it for me." Hermione told them and they both immediately begged harry to do the same for them. He did, and the next minute he had all the girls in Gryffindor tower begging him to do it for them. He didn't but he taught them the spell so they could do it themselves.  
  
That evening they went to visit Hagrid, who had just returned. They were all very shocked to find professor Dumbledore opening the door after they had knocked.  
  
"Um." Began Hermione, flustered, and Ron took over. "We head that Hagrid's back and we came down to visit him professor."  
  
"Of course, but I am afraid Hagrid has had a long journey and he needs his rest at the moment Mr Weasley."  
  
Harry peered past Dumbledore into the dark depths of the cottage. He could bot see anything. "Alright professor, tell him we visited if you can please. We'll visit again soon."  
  
"Off you go. I suspect that Miss Johnson would like some extra practice for the next match."  
  
They hurried back up towards the castle, and had just come in the great doors when Madame Pomfrey passed them, jogging down towards Hagrid's hut.  
  
"It wasn't just a long journey." Stated Hermione, watching the matron's retreating figure.  
  
Ron wasn't worried, "he probably just had a chat with some family members." He sad, referring to the giant that Hagrid had hidden in the forest last year.  
  
"But would Dumbledore be there just about that? He was worried." Hermione stated as they climbed the stairs towards the common room.  
  
"Yeah, he was. Whatever it is, I hope Hagrid's ok. Jumbo mumbo," this last he added at the portrait of the fat lady, who swung open to admit them into the common room.  
  
It was noisy and warm inside and the three friends warmed themselves by the fire before Harry and Ron headed up to get their broomsticks.  
  
They spent the next hour with the team members, throwing catching and chasing the quaffle. Harry enjoyed himself immensely, loving the feeling of being on the broomstick again, especially one as good as his firebolt. But he still felt that something was wrong, and when he landed he remembered that Sirius had given him that broom. He sighed. No matter what he did, he still couldn't loose the fact that Sirius was dead and it was his fault. Ron landed next to him, took one look at his friend's face and said, "I think you need a cheering charm."  
  
Harry laughed and they headed up to the castle, both of them casting nervous glances in the direction of Hagrids hut.  
  
Hermione was waiting when they arrived, apparently having just finished her homework. Harry was glad that he had got most of his done. He could do the rest tomorrow.  
  
"I just heard Parvati say that someone else has disappeared!" she exclaimed, more to Ron than Harry.  
  
"What?" asked Ron, as if he hadn't heard her.  
  
"What are you talking about?" asked Harry, remembering a little guiltily about the letter that he had intercepted a little while ago.  
  
"Well, all this year there has been disappearances. The kid would disappear for about three days, and then turn up again, but not remember anything about it. The teachers won't tell us what's happening, and I have asked Professor Mcgonagall, but she won't tell me."  
  
"If the teachers know what's happening, why are you worried?" asked Harry, a little surprised by her lack of faith in the teachers. They were, after all, Hogwarts teachers.  
  
"Well, Neville went missing, and since he's been back he's been a little weird, not quite himself."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"Well, he's a bit louder-"  
  
Ron snorted, "he's a lot louder."  
  
"And he's started being just a little bit more, well, ruder, to teachers, especially Snape. He actually met Snapes eye the other day."  
  
"What, he's still doing potions? I would have thought he would have given that up!"  
  
"He needs it to become a herbologist."  
  
"Poor fella." Muttered Ron. Harry agreed, he was incredibly glad that he didn't have to take potions this year. Not that there was much of the year left.  
  
"Hey! Weasley! Potter!" Angelina called out from the portrait hole, "we have to practice! Get your brooms and meet me on the quidditch pitch!"  
  
Harry sighed, Angelina was becoming as obsessed as Wood these days. Not that he could blame her, he wanted the cup too, but three days in a row of training! Sheesh!  
  
On the way downstairs Harry and Ron bumped into Lupin.  
  
"Hello boys, Harry, I just wanted to let you know that the Orders Headquarters hasn't been attacked, just surrounded by the Death Eaters, so no one can get in or out, save Dobby and Winky."  
  
"Why haven't they blown the place up?" asked Ron, confused,  
  
"The Fidelius Charm." (an; did I spell that right?)  
  
"Oh, I see." Said Ron, who obviously didn't see at all. The tow teenagers said good bye to professor Lupin (don't call me that!) and headed down towards the quidditch pitch. They never reached it. Hagrid, who had been watching for them came haring out of his hut at a frightening pace. Loping along behind him was fang, and Harr thought he read worry on the large dogs face.  
  
"Harry! Ron! U have to tell yer!" her panted reaching them. Harry glanced at Ron, who was staring open mouthed at Hagrid's shabby clothes and haggard face.  
  
"Sure Hagrid, what's up?' he asked in a would be casual voice.  
  
"I know what's been going on up at the school!"  
  
"How so?"  
  
"I know who's been taking the children!"  
  
"Who?"  
  
"Who der yer think?"  
  
Harry glanced at Ron, who was glancing at him, "three guesses and the first two don't count." Muttered Ron.  
  
Hagrid nodded, still looking pale and worried, "The Dark Lord!"  
  
AN; ba ba baaaum! How is Voldemort taking children from the school? Why isn't Dumbledore stopping him? How is Voldemort taking the children? What will Harry Ron and Hermione do next, besides Quidditch practice? 


	16. Colourful Malfoy hehehe!

AN; tell me what u think. Thanx to all ur reviews, i really appreciate them.  
  
Ok, here we go! Harry potter and the beginning of the end, chapter 16!!!  
  
Harry and Ron didn't go to Quidditch practice. They found Hermione (in the library of course). She was as shocked as they were. Harry, though, was again beginning to fell the prickles of anger that always accompanied the mention of Voldemort's name. As far as Harry was concerned, Voldemort had an awful lot to answer for, and not just for his parents and Sirius, either. Neville's parents too, and all the other people that Voldemort had hurt or taken over the years. Sometimes the list seemed endless.  
  
When the three of them went to Dumbledores office, he wasn't in, the same with Professor McGonagall. Ron kicked on of the suits of armour that lined the halls, and it stepped of its pedestal huffily and clanked away.  
  
"Where is everyone?" grumbled Ron.  
  
"Well, well, if it isn't Potter and his mud blood friends."  
  
"Do you kiss your mother with that mouth Malfoy?" asked Harry, pulling out his wand and turning around, "oops, sorry, I forgot, you don't kiss your mother because of her sour expression. You know the one, where she looks like she has a nasty smell under her nose?"  
  
Ron sniggered, and Hermione grinned as Malfoy went pink. He stepped forwards threatenly.  
  
"Don't you talk about my mother that way Potter."  
  
Harry tapped his wand against his side and said, "Shut your big mouth then."  
  
Malfoy stepped forwards and Crabbe, or Goyle? Harry could never tell which, cracked his knuckles warningly.  
  
"I have a good couple of curses for you Potter, I've been saving them."  
  
Harry rocked back on his feet, unconcerned, "Really? I must keep that in mind."  
  
"Hey Goyle," said Ron, grinning from ear to ear,"what's wrong? You look slightly sick."  
  
He was right, Goyle was going green. Very, very green and it was easy to see why. Malfoy's hair was beginning to go red. And gold. And the colours where beginning to swirl, and sparkle, and drop red and gold dust everywhere. Ron began to snigger. Hermione began to giggle. Harry let out one short, sharp laugh, and Draco, seeing the gold dust floating down from his hair, put a hand up to pat it. His hand came away red and gold. He looked from his hand to the three Gryffindors, and then he, Crabbe and Goyle took off, running around the corner, though perhaps a little too late. Crabbes hair was turning the same colour as Malfoys from a charm cast by Hermione, and Goyles was going Ravenclaw colours, from a charm sent by Ron.  
  
As the three rounded the corner there was an explosion of laughing, and a couple seconds later Neville, Luna and Ginny rounded the corner, looking back behind them, obviously watching the three colourful students.  
  
"What did you do?" asked Ginny, gripping Nevilles shoulder to stay upright, as she was laughing so hard.  
  
"Cleaned house," said Harry in all seriousness.  
  
By the time the group got back to Gryffindor Common room the word was out- Malfoy's hair was red and gold and he was leaving a trail wherever he went. He had apparently been to see Madame Pomfrey, but she had either been unable to help, or unwilling, and all the Gryffindor's thought this was hilarious, and Ginny and Ron disappeared for a little while, and returned with arms full of butter beer and food, from, Ron whispered, 'Dobby and co.'.  
  
As the party progressed, Harry grew more and more depressed, though he wasn't sure why. He just couldn't take his mind of what Hagrid had told him. He glanced around at his friends, Seamus was doing a kind of war dance, and no one was watching him. He felt it would be safe to sneak away.  
  
Dumbledore was in when Harry arrived at his office, and answered Harry's questions without preamble. What he told Harry made Harry pace up and down once he had left the presence of the Headmaster. Dumbledore was worried, and if Dumbledore was worried, then so was Harry. He wondered if the teachers knew about the secret passage way into Hogsmead. He hoped so, otherwise... he didn't want to think about it, and resolved to ask the next teacher he saw, even if it was Snape.  
  
Thinking of Hogsmead made him think of Zonko's. Though he was sure it wasn't as good as Fred and George's joke shop, he needed something to cheer him up now, not later. Besides, the summer holidays were coming up soon, and he wanted to visit Hogsmead just once this year.  
  
AN; sorry about not updating. Hehehe, but tell me what u think anyway. ^_^. 


	17. Journey to Hogsmead

AN; I now have 104 reviews. and I felt special until I saw a HP story that had some thing like seven thousand reviews, yike! And it was about Harry/Draco! Ewwwwwwwwwwwww! (PS if the writer of that story is reading this.its just my opinion.) Thankyou soooo much to everyone who has been reading this, I luv u all.  
  
Chapter 17 (yay); Journey to Hogsmead. Or not.  
  
Harry headed towards the one eyed witch, thinking that a bar of Honeydukes chocolate would cheer him up no end. He tapped the witch and said the word, and the humped statue moved. Harry smiled to himself, he didn't particularly care about his personal safety, but he was definitely going to tell the teachers about this corridor when he got back. He slid down the stone slope, landed with a thump at the bottom and pulled out his wand. He was just about to mutter 'lumos' when he heard a noise. Days, even weeks after, he didn't know what made him stop still. He wasn't even sure he had heard the noise. But he stopped and listened, feeling his skin begin to crawl in the damp. He pulled his the hood from his Hogwarts cloak up and over his head and shivered in the dark, listening intently. Far away in the gloom there was a patch of light, someone was holding their wand aloft and walking toward him, but they could not yet see him, as their was a slight bend in the tunnel. Harry hoped fervently that it was a student, but whispered the disillusionment spell any way, shivering even more as the creeping spell covered him.  
  
He could hear footsteps now, and pressed himself back against the wall. The figure was fully visible now, black hooded and robed, stalking towards him warily. Harry clamped a hand over his mouth and stopped breathing. The figure passed with a whisper of air and Harry felt the cloak brush his feet.  
  
He watched, blinking his watering eyes as the figure paused at the bottom of the stone slide, he saw a hand reach for something on the wall, and to his amazement, there was an echoing click and the slide turned into steps. Harry tried to stop making a noise, and clapped his hand over his mouth again. The figure climbed the stairs steadily, unaware he had a silent follower. Harry concentrated hard and held his cloak out of the way so as not to trip on the steps. The figure reached the top, whispered the password and Harry readied himself for a quick jump. The figure stepped out of the hole behind the witch and looked around warily. Harry dived low and fast, and hit the paved corridor a second before the witch slid back into place.  
  
The figure stalked off towards the great hall and Harry followed silently, still with no clue as to the figures identity. He was fairly sure that whoever it was wasn't a teacher, because the walk was a quite distinctive gait. He wondered about the order then, it might be Kingsley, but Harry had only seen him once, and had not noticed is walk as anything unusual. Harry heard laughter echoing down the hall, and the figure sped up, Harry lengthening his stride to keep up.  
  
Pansy Parkinson and one of her friends were giggling about something in the hall. They both looked up in amazement as the figure strode towards them,  
  
"Who are-?" Pansy didn't finish. The black figure (AN: I'm getting tired of writing that!) had pulled out his wand and was pointing at her. He said something in a low. Deep voice that Harry couldn't catch. A bright green light careened out of the wand, and slammed into Pansy. Her friend screamed as she fell, and the figure (AN;!!) then did the same to her. Harry stared at the two unconscious girls, and felt his blood beginning to boil. Pansy might be a spoiled snit, have an annoying laugh, and Slytherin (AN: Spelling???), but she was a Hogwart's student, and that was enough for Harry. He was just about to step forward when the figure whirled around and pointed his wand straight at him. Harry froze, hoping against hope that the figure couldn't see him. "I know that there's someone there, I can smell your fear and anger." The voice hissed out from under the hood. Harry felt his skin crawl, he didn't recognise the voice, but it was evil to the core. The figure chuckled, "follow me all you want but you want get far."  
  
Harry's blood began to boil, 'we'll see about that' he thought acidly, and stepped back wards a couple of paces, knowing the intruder would head back to the one eyed witch. He waited with baited breath, knowing the intruder would return to the exit ver, very soon.  
  
He was right, the figure strolled down the corridor with two magical stretchers floating in front of him. Harry readied himself for yet another jump, and as soon as the witch slid sideways he leaped, and rolled, and rolled, and rolled and rolled until...  
  
THUD!!!!  
  
"Ow." He whispered, gripping his poor head, and scrambled to his feet, and ducked into a crack in the wall so that the two stretchers could pass without hitting him. He had enough bangs and knocks today.  
  
It took about an hour to go through the tunnel, because the figure was moving so slowly and quietly. Harry got quite sick of walking quietly and his muscles were aching by the time the tunnel slopped upwards, and he knew that they were almost at the village of Hogsmead.  
  
The figures went out the trap door ahead of him, and harry had to dive for it so that he could get through, and he actually almost hit one of the stretchers with the girls on them. There everything ended. He wasn't in Hogsmead. He was somewhere totally different. It was a great big field full of grass and flowers. And he stared around him in wonder. This was not the place he would expect a Death Eater to go, Death Eaters belonged in dungeons and holes, like Azkaban.  
  
"Expeliarmus!!" the wizard knew he was there and his wand went flying out of his hand, and the figure caught it easily. The dark robed figure then waved his wand one more time and Harry felt a burning heat slam into his chest and send him flying. His last thought as his eyes closed was. 'How dumb can I get?'  
  
AN; wat did u think? Did I spell Expeliarmus right? Tell me! I don't know whether anyone else noticed it, but Harry and Ron come back from Quidditch practice, talk to Hermione, and then Angelina calls them that they have more practice...maybe I shouldn't have said anything...ah shaddupa ya face ya silly neonlights.. (me) ^_^.... 


	18. Reflections

AN; ok, I have three more days of skool left for this year and from then on I will try to make my chappies longer. (After exams of course) and I don't have anything to say except that I luv reviews so keep em cumming. And I luv u's all cus u read my story!!! Also, this story is drawing to a close. But don't despair. There is a sequel on the way! That is if u guys want one. Harry potter and the beginning of the end mach II? Ya reckon or Rising from the ashes? Oh well I guess I had better hurry up with your chapters.or you'll murder me.  
  
Disclaimer; characters belong to JK Rowling (bow, scrape) because if I had owned them book five would not have happened, not that way..  
  
Harry and the beginning of the end chapter 18  
  
Incarceration. (I feel special, I use big words!)  
  
An; this chapter is looking to be a long but boring one. Its mainly me trying to tie up all the loose ends from book six, like the fedlius charm and other things. actually, if you don't want to read Harry's thoughts u can skip right to the ext chapter. (I'm planning to upload 2 at the same time)  
  
Ok here we go.........................  
  
When Harry came to he was hanging. By his wrists. In the dark. His head hurt. His wrists hurt. His shoulders hurt. And his scar was throbbing so painfully that he was afraid that it might split his head in two. (AN; not a nice thought.).  
  
Once his eyes got used to the dark he cold see a little. He was hanging from a beam in the center of what looked like a cellar. By swinging his legs a little he could see an outline of a door to his right and behind a little.  
  
Pansy and her friend were in the corner to his right and in front of him, both looking very pale.  
  
The door opened.  
  
"CRUCIO!!" the spell slammed into Harry, and he sung crazily for a second, his eyes shut in a grimance of pain. The pain got worse and he blacked out. Again without seeing his attacker's face.  
  
He didn't really come to, just floated between conciousness and sleep. His mind wandered feebly through a variety of subjects and oddly enough the first topic to come to mind was..  
  
His OWL results. He had never actually received them. He wondered what he had gotten. Then he wondered what Hermione had got (more than him he'd bet his whole vault in a second) and then he wondered what Ron got. He hoped they did well, then they could be Aurors (AN; spelling???) together..  
  
Then he wondered when this year's exams were. They must be soon but he hadn't heard much about them yet though.so not too soon. He wondered idly if he would get better than Hermione at History of Magic because of all the notes the Ghost professor Binns had sent him.  
  
Then he wondered how the Dursleys were. He felt a stab of guilt that he hadn't thought of them in ages, and wondered how badly they had been hurt in the attack that happened oh so long ago.then he wondered why he cared...  
  
Harry remembered Mrs Weasleys grief over the Bogart's tricks. He felt a stab of guilt again. Mrs Weasley was a really lovely woman, and she didn't deserved to be acted at like that. She was scared stiff for all her family. And Harry resolved to not to let anything happen to the Weasleys. EVER. That meant as soon as he was out of here he was going to have a chat with Percy if he hadn't come around yet.  
  
Then he wondered why he could easily, unlike experienced witches such as professor McGonagall, could have two animagi forms, when she could only change into her Tabby cat form, like she had mentioned in class so long ago. Then he wondered why he was a metamorphagus when to his knowledge both his parents weren't. He wondered whether being a metamorphagus had anything to do with being an animagi. Then he wondered whether he could take on any other animagi forms.like a bird that was less noticeable than the phoenix..  
  
That thought led to the prophecy. Somehow. Perhaps it was the fact that he remembered that he had no know about the prophecy then, and had only known that Voldemort was still alive.  
  
Thought of Voldemort bought horrifying day-mares. (AN; made that one up!!) He saw Voldemorts features laughing at him from the back of Quirrels head. He saw the Philosophers stone. Then he saw Tom Riddle as he had been at Hogwarts, young handsome and 'oh so brave.' Then he saw Wormtail, running crying with his tail between his legs to his master. He saw Sirius in his dog form. and then he saw Voldemort stepping out of the cauldron, fully alive and well. He saw Cedric's body lying sprawled on the grass in the graveyard.  
  
Then he saw the ministry last year. He remembered every detail as clear as if he was there again. He remembered it as he had never before. He saw the file with his name on it. He saw Lucius Malfoy behind the mask. He saw Bellatrix Lestrange laughing at him. He saw Sirius falling.falling.falling. Then his godfather disappeared. Then he saw Dumbledore. Then he saw the gold statues that had saved him when the Dark Lord Voldemort had attacked. He saw Fawkes save his master. He felt an echo of the pain that had engulfed him when Voldemort had attacked. Then Harry remembered the way he had acted after Sirius death. He had wanted to kill Lestrange. That made him horrible. The fact that he hadn;'t succeeded only made him feel worse. Just because someone had behaved badly, and this was a extreme of bad, was no excuse for him to behave badly too. He winced to himself. That meant he shouldn't behave like he did towards Malfoy. But surely Malfoy and Lestrange deserved it. Harry gritted his teeth. Who was he to judge, to decide who should live and who should die? ...  
  
Then he remembered the picture of the order that Moody had shown him last year, where his parents and Neville's parents were smiling and waving at the camera. He wondered whether they had had many occasions to smile in the last year of their life. When he had been with them. He saw all the Order members. Mad eye Moody, Remus Lupin, Albus Dumbledore, Dedalus Diggle, Marlene McKinnon, Alice and Frank Longbottom, Emmeline Vance, Benjy Fenwick, Edgar Bones, Sturgis Podmore, Caradoc Dearborn, Hagrid, Elphias Doge, Gideon Prewett, Fabian Prewett, Aberforth Dumbledore, Wormtail, Dorcas Meadowes, Sirius Black and.his parents. His heart wrenched. He felt so alone these days that it was a constant pain, but one that he was used to. In fact, he was so used to his stomach feeling off because of loneliness and pain that he felt odd when he didn't feel alone or wasn't in some kind of emotional pain. He remembered the look on Moody's face when he had showed Harry the photograph. A treat, Moody had thought. Well, at the time Harry had found it disturbing... now he found it comforting to know about some of the happier times...  
  
He remembered what he heard and saw every time he got close to a Dementor. His mother pleading with Voldemort. His father telling her to run. The sounds. He hated the sounds he heard. The laughter. The anguish in her voice as she watched her husband die and knew she and her son would follow.  
  
Harry pulled away from that line of thought. He hated it. But he kept thinking of Dementors.  
  
He remembered the white light that had surrounded him on the Hole. The Dementor had gone when he opened his eyes. He wondered if he had killed it. To his knowledge there was no way to kill a Dementor. Maybe he had invented one? ...  
  
Then Harry wondered about Percy. He felt another stab of guilt because Percy was low on his priorities of things to worry about at the moment. He should be on the top because he was friend's family, and he was upsetting his mother and father and brothers and sister. He wondered whether Fudge saying Dumbledore was right about Voldemort being back had changed Percy's mind. He hoped so...  
  
Thoughts of Fudge lead to the Daily Prophet. Harry reflected that it was a stupid name. It couldn't prophesize no more than Professor Trelawney, although she had had 2 real predictions. Though the fact that she kept predicting his death made Harry dislike her even more..  
  
Then Harry wondered what had happened to Kreacher. He didn't know what happened to house elves who out lived their families. He remembered Lupin saying that Keracher didn't exist anymore and wondered how, not that he really cared, though he did feel a stab of guilt when he remembered Hermione's word about SPEW, or whatever. He wondered whether Hermione was keeping SPEW going. Knowing her she would end up making a totally boring career out of it. If she lived that long. he wondered how man of his friends would be gone by the time the war was over. He hoped none. No more death. But he was smart enough to figure out that some people were bound to die when everything came to a head. Which it would. He knew it. He could feel it.  
  
He wondered whether Fred and George were making good on their joke shop. He hoped so. Then he remembered the jokes that he wanted to play on Malfoy. They would have to wait now. Perhaps for a long time..  
  
Then Harry remembered what had made him so curious last year. The secret weapon the order kept talking about. He was sure that he wasn't the secret weapon. How secret could you not be? He was the boy who lived. He was the only person ever to have been hit with Avada Kedavra (AN; spelling?). .  
  
Harry remembered Cho. He wondered if she still liked him. Try as he might, he couldn't conjure up one shred of emotion. He seemed too wiped out. Too far gone. To insane. He knew, somehow, as if someone had shouted in his ear, that he was going slowly insane, hanging there in the dark with nothing to hear or see beside two Slytherins.  
  
Then Harry wondered if he would get to be a prefect. It was just one of those things he had on his mind. One of the things that didn't matter, but did, in an odd sort of way. He wondered whether or not he would be a good Prefect. He had no idea..  
  
Then he wondered if he was going to live.  
  
AN; well! How's that? Is there anything else I should have added? Tell me! But how was that for an end to a chappie hey? Hehehehe. Don't worry. Next chappie will be/is up. 


	19. Tabby Cat

An; sorry about how boring last chapter was. I had to tie up some loose ends. If I had a list of your names I would quote it, seriously I luv u guys.(not in that way you sick people!) plz review. Its drawing to a close. Can u tell??  
  
TAKE NOTE!!! There is torture in this one. Sorry, had to happen. There m medium level detail though so don't read if u don't think you can handle it.  
  
Here we go.  
  
Harry Potter and the beginning of the end chapter 19 zoinks!  
  
Harry slipped in and out of consciousness, often dreaming, never really sleeping. He would wake to fid himself still hanging there, with nothing but the echo's of his own screams reverberating through the room. Pansy and her friend stared at him, whenever they were awake, but they disappeared often, and always for hours.  
  
He didn't know how long he hung there, his arms aching and his glasses askew. It seemed like forever. His wrists were slowly rubbed raw, and the blood trickling down his arms tickled and sometime he wanted to scream because he couldn't wipe the blood away. Once Pansy and her friend came back screaming, and lay on the ground at the door sobbing. Harry tried to talk to them; to ask them what was wrong, but his tongue was thick and dry and wouldn't work.  
  
The worst thing though, was the hunger. It slowly became the worst feeling he had ever experienced. His stomach grumbled. It roared in the silence. His head began to ache and he longed for just one mouthful of water. Just one.  
  
The door opened. Harry turned his head as much as possible. He couldn't make out the figure in the door way, his eyes hurt; it had been days since he had needed to see anything besides darkness.  
  
"Cut him down." The voice was low, angry and unfamiliar.  
  
Another figure stepped past the first and Harry felt his bonds give way. He fell to the floor, and his legs, unused by now to weight collapsed. The second figure hauled him to his feet and dragged him out the door. Harry glanced over his shoulder as he went, and saw Pansy Parkinsons frightened face. Then the door swung shut.  
  
They questioned him for hours. He sat in the chair, ad simply repeated "I don't know." Again and again and again. Then they tied him down with ropes and dripped water in his eyes. He didn't mind because every now and then the water would dribble into his mouth. Then they dripped something else into his eyes and he screamed, he screamed until his voice broke apart. All through it a voice kept telling him that the pain would go away, as soon as he told them what they wanted to know. So he told them. He told them that he had tried to sneak into Hogsmead for a butter beer. And they bought it. They bought it without even once looking at his forehead, without once looking at the thing that would have made their boss very proud of them, very proud of them indeed.  
  
Then they didn't need him.  
  
He was dragged out into the sunlight. He was in house, in a field, it was a bright day. There was a forest nearby. The figures threw him onto the gravel path that led to the gate of the fence that surrounded the property, and he slid for a second on his cheek before stopping. There he lay. For a long time. Actually, Harry didn't even know that, all he knew was that he passed out, and when he woke the back of his neck was burning from sunburn. It was night. He tried to sit up, but his arms and legs failed him. He lay where he was and prayed silently.  
  
There was a crunch of gravel, a footstep coming his way. Harry turned his head, looked along the pat and saw two luminous cat eyes glowing in the dark. Without fully knowing why, he reached for the cat.  
  
"Tabby." He whispered, his throat constricted and it came out as more of a croak he was trying to remember where he knew the cat from. He had seen it before. Where? Somewhere important to him. At..school. He frowned and let his hand drop, but still watched the cat. Why should school and a cat go together? Why? What was so important about them? Why should the Tabby with the funny markings around its eyes mean so much and be connected with school? School was horrible. Dudley chased him all the time. Dudley. That was a friends name? No, he didn't have any friends. He was missing something. There was something missing very important.  
  
The cat stepped closer, and Harry watched the markings around the eyes. They were familiar. They reminded him of something else. Without thinking he reached up to adjust his glasses, and then froze. Glasses. The cat was wearing glasses. No. that was impossible. Cats didn't wear glasses.  
  
He was thinking like a muggle. Harry frowned. What was a muggle? Non magic folk. How did he know that? Magic? What is going on here? He stared at the cat as if she could help him.  
  
All that night he lay there. Little snitbits came to him. An old man. A severe looking lady. A freckle faced boy and a girl with bushy hair featured prominently.  
  
When he woke he knew. He remembered. And he smiled at the worried cat who had been watching the red eyes and puffy face; the blood stained arms and scraped bloody cheek all night.  
  
"Professor McGonagall. It's nice to see you."  
  
AN; I know it's short. So sue me, as long as u review I don't mind. 


	20. Return to HogwartsIII

AN; it's me again. I luv reviews. (Hint hint nudge nudge)  
  
Also, I got a review from some1 telling me that Harry should have changed into a phoenix, well, sure, but reason number one he didn't; there was no way out even if he did, number two, he was semi conscious and half mad most of the time so.yeah. Third, he couldn't just leave Pansy and co, even if she is Slytherin, its not done, not by the courageous, self sacrificing Harry anyway. . Thanx for your review. NOTE: *means that it's animal speech*  
  
Professor McGonagall was never more relieved when she saw the boy's pupils focus properly and watched as he pushed himself upright n the grey light of dawn. He had stared at her for hours last night, unseeing and unknowing. Now he knew.  
  
He stood shakily, suddenly realizing that his feet were incredibly sore and Minerva saw swelled feet dark with blood.  
  
"Where to?" asked Harry, looking down at her.  
  
She switched her tail. She was in a difficult spot. She had simply been sent to watch the house. She had been ordered by Dumbledore not to move until he collected her, under any circumstances.  
  
Harry looked over his shoulder at the house. He knew that two of his schoolmates were in there. He told the professor and she promptly decided that to leave and tell Dumbledore was a good thing.  
  
The house was quiet and Harry had no problem getting away, which surprised him really.  
  
Once they were deep into the forest and Harry was exhausted Professor McGonagall resumed her human form.  
  
"Potter, are you alright?"  
  
"Not really." He didn't look it either, his face was covered in sweat and he was trembling. Minerva prayed for him to hold on, just a little bit longer.  
  
"Can you change into your stag shape?"  
  
"I think so."  
  
He could, though his hooves hurt an awful lot, but he found that keeping moving helped.  
  
That's exactly what they did. He could talk to McGonagall the way animals talked to each other. Harry had no idea where he was, but the gray tabby led him unerringly in a straight line. Exhausted in body and soul harry let the stag in him take over, only exercising enough control over the stag's body to keep it following McGonagall.  
  
Days, hours, minutes later Harry recognized their surroundings. He was in the Forbidden Forest. The tree's were now closer together, and the animals became more exotic. In the extreme.  
  
There was a growl to his right, and the stag's first impulse was to run. Harry made the large animal turn and lower its antlers. The werewolf was hunkered down on its haunches and its teeth were bared.  
  
*it knows where human!* squeaked the tabby.  
  
The ugly gray animal charged and Harry thought wearily 'why me?' before he lowered his antlers even more and the animal charged into them. Harry gave a flick of his long horns and the beast went flying, but was back on its feet in a second.  
  
*Is that Lupin?* he asked as the tabby hissed and spat.  
  
*No!!!*  
  
*Good. *  
  
The ugly beast charged again, and this time Harry didn't get his antlers lowered in time and the wolf's sharp claws cut deep red rivulets into his hind left leg (AN; haunch? Do stags have haunches?) and harry roared with pain and swung his antlers in an angry frenzy. The (poor) wolf was knocked out within seconds.  
  
*Are you alright Potter?* asked the cat, eyeing his bleeding leg.  
  
*let's keep moving* he said/communicated.  
  
So they did. They ran, really, harry limping heavily.  
  
The reached the castle grounds, Harry Prongs now lagging behind Tabby. Hagrid was giving a lesson, but as soon as he saw Tabby run from the forest he sent his students away. As soon as no one was watching McGonangall changed back into her human form.  
  
"Get Poppy and the Headmaster!" she told the confused half giant who obediently hurried up to the castle.  
  
Harry staggered out of the forest, got a couple of meters and collapsed on his side. His leg was hurting awfully and his head was aching from dehydration. And his scar was hurting horribly again.  
  
Suddenly he was transported to Voldemorts world again, and he realised with horror that he had finally let his Occlumency shield down. He watched as Voldemort paced infront of the two kneeling Death Eaters that had held him. He didn't know how he knew it was them he had never seen thier faces, but he knew.  
  
"You let him get away??! I don't believe you. You had my worst enemy in your grasp and all you did was rip his toenails out?"  
  
Harry felt a jolt. His toenails were missing? Since when?  
  
"You shall be punished for this." The Dark Lord spun and pionted his wand at the two, there was a blinding flash of green light and Harry/Prongs jr woke.  
  
He was lying where he had fallen, and Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey were leaning over him. Realizing that he was still in his stag shape he shut his eyes and concentrated for a second, and then he was human again.  
  
"Harry? Are you alright?" asked Dumbledore, and Harry was surprised to note that he had never seen the Headmaster looking so worried.  
  
Harry tried to speak but his mouth wouldn't work.  
  
"My god, look at him." Whispered Madame Pomfrey. Harry wondered what was so bad. He knew his arms had dry blood on them, and his eyes were red and his cheek was raw, but so what? She had seen him covered in slime and blood and venom, what else was new?  
  
Twenty minutes later Harry was lying in the hospital. Again. He almost smiled. Almost. He could hear whispering. Dumbledore and Madame Pomfrey.  
  
"I won't treat him."  
  
"But poppy..."  
  
"I refuse to treat him. He has been tortured Dumbledore. He was unstable as it was over his godfather's death. Any sort of magic may make his mind break completely."  
  
"Are you sure you are not underestimating him?"  
  
"Headmaster, I know what I am talking about, that boy is unstable, and who knows what sort of mind altering magic they used on him? For all we know he could be an insider for the Death Eaters now."  
  
Harry was shocked. Even more shocked when he had learnt that Voldemort could possess him last year. He remembered what Ginny had said; 'you forget things, where you've been, what you've been doing.' he remembered what he had been doing. Well, for the times that he was awake anyway. But could he be possessed by Voldemort? He had let his wall down. And he was having dreams again. Could it really be possible that he was going insane??  
  
AN; ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha. *cough* ok, tell me wat u think!!!! 


	21. Intruder

An; well. This is it. The finale is happening. Sort a. dunno these things sometimes get away from me.  
  
Harry and the beginning of the end. Chapter 21 (^_^) Intruder.  
  
Harry stared at the ceiling grumpily. He didn't feel that bad, really, his wrists ached, and his toes hurt a little but otherwise he wished he was in lessons. Exams were next week and everyone but him were studying hard.  
  
He sighed. Madame Pomfrey was acting as if he was a mentally ill patient, someone with the brain the size of a pea, not that he had anything against mentally ill people.but he WASN'T ONE! Ron and Hermione visited often, but the last visit Madame Pomfrey had had a quiet word with them outside the door of the sick bay. Harry suspected that she had told them that he was mentally ill, because they had not come back. To top it all off, they had stopped Neville, Luna and Ginny coming too. Harry felt lonely. Even Dumbledore hadn't visited, though Harry suspected that was the same reason the headmaster had not talked to him at all last year, fear of Voldemort taking over. Harry winced as he remembered the feeling. He remembered asking Dumbledore to kill him. Harry shoved the thought away and concentrated on his present problems.  
  
The object of his woes (Madame Pomfrey) loped past, and Harry noticed she was drinking from a hip flask like Moody's. He frowned. In all the time he had seen her, had spent time in the hospital wing, he had never seen the matron eating or drinking on duty. She pulled a face after taking a swig from the flask. It reminded Harry of something. Something Ron had done once.he shook his head. No point in trying to remember.  
  
"Madame Pomfrey? Did you tell Ron and Hermione not to visit?" he asked.  
  
She stopped. "Now where did you get an idea like that Potter? Making up stories against people only trying to help you. That's a sure sign of stage one of ******," (she said a word Harry didn't understand, "I am afraid I will have to cancel all your visits."  
  
"But!"  
  
"No buts." She turned away and Harry caught the glint of something in her eyes. An emotion he couldn't place.  
  
There was nothing for it. He stayed in place and counted the amount of times someone went past the in the corridor outside the peaceful wing. By the end of the day he was exhausted (the kind where you are tired because you did nothing), and shut his eyes to sleep.  
  
He dreamed again. ------------------------------------------------ Voldemort was pacing. Wormtail was quivering in the corner and Nagini was slithering around near the fire which was crackling merrily in the hearth.  
  
"Why does she not contact e?" hissed the dark lord, running a hand over his red, disgusting eyes. "Why does she not send an owl?" he resumed pacing and began muttering to himself. Harry couldn't hear the words but apparently Wormtail could, because the figure cowered even more. "DAMMIT!" roared the dark lord, in amazing display of loss of temper. Sparks shot from his wand. ----------------------------------------------  
  
and not that many miles away, Harry woke up. One thing that had been bothering him, the one thing that had stayed in his mind was the look on Madame Pomfrey's face when she drank from the flask. He had seen it before, on Ron's face. When he had taken the Polyjuice potion.  
  
Harry sat bolt upright. It was impossible. Madame Pomfrey couldn't not be her.and yet, it made sense. The refusal to even consider healing him magically, the look in her eyes as she turned away, which Harry now recognized as maliciousness.  
  
He rolled out of bed and went to the office at the end of the long white room. He pushed open the door and crept inside. His file was lying open on the desk; Harry almost chuckled when he saw how thick it was. He had definitely spent too much time in this wing over the last two years. He opened the file.  
  
"Potter! What are you doing?"  
  
Harry turned.  
  
#(AN; this flash forwards a little, but don't worry, all will be explained.^_^)#  
  
Harry lifted his wings, and then pushed them down as hard as he could. His heart was heavy with sorrow. None of them had believed him. Not Dumbledore. Not Lupin. Not even Ron and Hermione. He let his black and silver head droop and put all his strength into flying. The dreams were coming again. In daylight hours. That either meant that Voldemort was feeling an extreme of some emotion, or he was trying really hard to take over Harry.  
  
Harry lifted his shining wings and flew out of sight, never noticing the white figure following, the very loyal, kind, white owl.  
  
AN; HEDWIG RULES!!!!! Hehe. Tell me wat u think. 


	22. Betrayel

AN; if owned Harry Potter I wouldn't be using this crud computer.  
  
Harry and the beginning of the end. Chapter 22. Betrayal  
  
*-----------------------*### flash back.  
  
"Potter! What are you doing?"  
  
Harry turned. Madam Pomfrey was standing behind him. She looked sufficiently shocked, but very triumphant.  
  
"I-"  
  
The rest was a blur. He had been marched to Dumbledore's office. Dumbledore had not been in residence. They had then proceeded to McGonagall's, with the same result. Snape had been next in line. To Harry's horror, the potions teacher was in residence, and lost no time in expelling Harry for both past and present misdemeanours. On the way back up to the hospital wing, Harry had ducked away from Madame Pomfrey and hidden. She had run past, looking for him and he had jumped out a window, but only after changing into his Phoenix shape.  
  
*-------------------------*### end flash back.  
  
He had flown for hours before landing, and was now lying in the middle of a field somewhere in his human form, sleeping. And dreaming.  
  
----------------------  
  
Voldemort was in the ministry of magic. Mr Weasley was standing there opposite him, along with Tonks, Moody, Snape, Kingsley, and a couple others. Voldemort was laughing, and telling them something. Whatever he said made the group of Order personnel go pale. The Dark Lord laughed again.  
  
-----------------------  
  
A wing brushed his cheek just before dawn. He started up, only to freeze in shock when he spied Hedwig.  
  
"Hedwig?"  
  
The owl hooted softly and hopped a couple of meters away, unfolded her wings, folded them, and hopped back. She repeated this until Harry said, "You want me to follow you?"  
  
The owl hooted again, and spread her wings. Harry warned her, "I don't want to go back to Hogwarts until Dumbledore's there." The owl hooted scornfully as if she wouldn't make him. Harry changed to his phoenix shape and took to the air.  
  
Three hours later, Harry began to recognize his surroundings. He was in the area surrounding London. Harry tried to get Hedwig's attention, but the owl was ignoring him except for a backward glance every now and then.  
  
They landed on a roof somewhere. Hedwig hopped up and down until Harry changed into a human, and then walked her funny owlish walk to the edge of the roof and spread one wing until she was effectively pointing at an old telephone box.  
  
Harry recognized the box immediately, and swallowed, remembering his dream, and, more importantly what had happened last time he had visited the ministry.  
  
"Are you sure?" he asked his owl, who hooted softly.  
  
"You're sure. Rats."  
  
He climbed down (it was a one story business block, if such a thing exists in London.).  
  
The voice asked him what he was doing, and he told it, rather wearily that he was investigating. He received a tag with his name and 'investigator of woes' written on it.  
  
The lift carried him to the reception, and Harry thought it rather odd that there were no guards, especially considering what had happened last year.  
  
He wandered around a little, horrified at the silence, Hedwig riding silently on his shoulder, giving his ear a nip every now and then.  
  
Suddenly the silence was shattered by bellowing. The ground shook and Harry ducked instinctively. The noise was coming from the room at the end of the corridor. Harry, unnerved by the continual shouting and cracking and booming ducked sideways into the shadows by one of the older suits of armour, Hedwig wobbling on his shoulder. To his surprise there was a staircase in the shadows there. He saw flashes at the top and pulled out his wand. It seemed like every dream he had lately had a purpose.  
  
AN; I know, I'm evil. Review and I'll let you know what happens next, as well as the bonus fact that there is only two (three at the most) chapters left. ^_^. Then the sequel. Hehe. TELL ME IF U WANT A SEQUEL!!!! 


	23. Head to Head

AN; I luv reviews. Hint hint.  
  
Head to head.  
  
Harry ran up the stairs, wand at the ready and braked in amazement at what he saw at the top.  
  
He was in a huge, square room. There was a balcony running around the room like the gallery in the high courts (if you've ever seen them). He was standing on the balcony, looking down at the 19 figures below him. Eleven Death Eaters against eight Order. Not fair odds. Spells were being thrown backwards and forwards, but apparently there was no Avada's flying around because no one was dead yet.  
  
He walked quietly along the balcony, glad of the plush carpet under his feet, not that anyone could hear him, with all the noise coming from below.  
  
He watched as Tonks hit one of the Death eaters with the jelly legs spell, and he wobbled about, crashing into all his friends. He tried not to laugh.  
  
Then something caught his eye. At the back of the room, behind the Death Eaters there was a small glowing green ball. (AN; guess who!) As he watched it slowly got larger and larger. Then there was a bright green flash and Harry felt a wave of heat wash over him. The next instant he was slammed backwards into the wall behind him, and everything went black.  
  
^_^ I'm not that cruel!  
  
But only for a second. He opened his eyes again, blinked plaster dust out of his eyes and sat up. Voldemort was now standing with his loyal (hehe) Death Eaters. The portion of balcony he was standing on was now considerably wobbly, and from what Harry could see that it wasn't the only thing, many of the order looked a bit wobbly, as well said the Death Eaters.  
  
"Well, well, it's the good team." Sneered Voldemort, his red eyes glistening.  
  
The order moved away from him, backing towards the door.  
  
"Scared of me are we?"  
  
"We all have reason to fear you Tom." Said Dumbledore, stepping into the room.  
  
Voldemort took a step back wards.  
  
"If it isn't the oh so brave Dumbledore!" he sneered, but Harry heard a waver in the voice.  
  
Voldemort leveled his wand at Dumbledore. The killing spell shot out of the end, and straight into Fawke's wide open mouth. The bird collapsed into flame, but Harry was relived to find that there was a baby in the new pile of ashes.  
  
Harry wasn't about to stay up here and let them have all the fun. Besides, wasn't he the one who had to kill Voldemort? But Harry had been through a lot this year, and it obviously wasn't over. But he had learnt a little. Maybe. Instead of rushing in he sat back and thought on what to do. What was Voldemort's weakest point? It came to him. Occlumency. He could attack the Dark Lord using Occlumency, through the mind!  
  
He shut his eyes and concentrated.  
  
----------------This is what the Order and Dumbledore saw-----------------  
  
Voldemort raised his wand to point it at Dumbledore again. He opened his mouth to say something along the lines of Avada Kedavra when his pale face whitened, and he clutched at his wand. Then he clutched at his head and let loose a blood curdling scream that made everyone, Death Eaters and Order Personnel alike, took a step away from the hunched figure. Voldemort screamed again, and writhed, collapsing to the floor. He gripped his head and twisted, writhing in agony. Then, he fell forwards on his face, still screaming.  
  
He looked up, and all the Order gasped in amazement. Where there had been red hole before a pair of bright green eyes sparkled. As they watched, amazed, a lightening shaped gash appeared on the evil Lords forehead. Then the eyes rolled up and Voldemort keeled over and the cut faded away, leaving nothing but blood behind.  
  
The Death Eaters rushed forwards, collected their master and disappeared with a variety of resounding CRACKS!  
  
----------------------END ORDER POINT OF VIEW------------------  
  
Harry opened his eyes, feeling more exhausted than he had in.well, a little while. His scar hurt horribly. He reached up to touch it, hissed and drew a bloody hand away. It seemed his scar had reopened.  
  
He stood, felt his away along the balcony in the gathering dark and headed down the stairs. He was about three stairs from the bottom when he slipped. He crashed down the last three or four steps and landed on his arse in front of Dumbledore and co. not a good entrance. The adults all stared down at him for a second, then Dumbledore helped him to his feet.  
  
"You have a knack for turning up in the wrong place these days, Harry." Said Lupin wearily.  
  
Dumbledore chuckled, "or in this case, at the right time, or didn't you notice the way our dear friends features changed into a resemblance of Harry's? I would say, Mr Potter, that you have something of a headache right now?"  
  
"Yes." Said Harry, not liking the way Lupin and the others were staring at him.  
  
"We have to return to Hogwarts now Harry, but as I'm fairly sure what has happened in the last 48 hours I think that the best thing for you and Professor Snape would be for you to stay at the Black Residence for a little while."  
  
Harry cracked his knuckles, thinking that a little while wouldn't be enough time.  
  
Harry startled Mrs Weasley when he arrived unannounced at the Black Residence, which was now safe. She dropped a plate of toast, and Harry helped pick it up before she said anything, but once t he mess was cleared up she pounced on him.  
  
"What did you think you were doing? Running away from school like that?" she screeched at him, and Harry sighed, this was going to be a loooooooooooooong night.  
  
"I was expelled." He snapped, suddenly loosing patience.  
  
"What?" Mrs Weasley was cut off middle of charade.  
  
"I was just at the ministry. Voldemort attacked again."  
  
"WHAT!!! ARTHUR???" the woman went hysterical.  
  
"MRS WEASLEY! IT'S OK!!" Harry Had to yell to make himself heard.  
  
"What?" she said (yet again).  
  
"Dumbledore was there, and Voldemort, uhh, well..Voldemort had a headache and had to leave suddenly, so everyone's ok!"  
  
"What?"  
  
^_^!!  
  
One more chapter to go. Then, the SEQUEL IF U WANT ONE! Tell me! I want feed back. Thanks for the feedback that's already happened, BUT I WANT MORE MORE MORE!! Mwahahahahahahaha!  
  
And, I was wondering, should I make the sequel a new story or simply add another bunch of chapters for Harry's next year? It would be easier to find if I kept it here.wat u think??? 


	24. Endings are both Good and Bad

AN: I think this is the last chapter, but like I said things have a way of getting out of hand and this may be one of those times. PS, I have a lot of people to thank, but I won't do it this chappie, expect a NOTES chappie soon.  
  
It took a while for Mrs Weasley to calm down. Harry explained everything to her, and had just finished when the door was banged rather loudly into the silence. Harry glanced at Mrs Weasley, saw from the surprise on her face that this was an unexpected visit and pulled out his wand.  
  
When they opened the door Valence (who harry hadn't seen much since she arrived at his place with Lupin and Moody last year) fell through the door, clutching her shoulder.  
  
"Good Grief! Harry, send Dumbledore a message telling him that Agent V has been put out of business almost permanently." Commanded Mrs Weasley, bending over the prone woman.  
  
Harry did as he was bid and when he returned he found Mrs Weasley struggling to hold the woman up while carrying her upstairs. Not sure whether using magic as a levitating spell would be good for the old woman Harry ran forwards to help without magical aide. Together they managed to get the old lady upstairs.  
  
No sooner than they had settled her in Harry's old room was there a pounding on the door again. Harry ran to answer it this time.  
  
That's how it was for then next couple of hours. Wounded order members would appear on the door step, many of whom Harry recognised, and he and Mrs Weasley would do what they could, Harry sending Hedwig with letters every time she returned form the last bout. The owl was more exhausted than he at then end of the night, but Harry was more mentally tired than physically. There was no more room upstairs in beds so they had to leave the members where they fell. Harry remembered seeing Dumbledore conjure sleeping bags, and tried it out. They weren't the bright purple that Dumbledore's had been, actually they were a yucky brown colour and were quite lumpy and the zips stuck but Harry was proud of them. He just didn't advertise the fact that he made them. They wrapped the order personnel in the bags, bandaging and magicing where possible. Mrs Weasley even had Harry write to ST Mungo's asking for help, and when the five nurses arrived (including the real Madame Pomfrey) Harry and Mrs Weasley took a rest.  
  
It was morning when Harry awoke, there was sunlight shafting through the dusty windows. He as still for a second, still upright in the chair where he had fallen asleep, and then remembering what had happened last night, jumped up and ran into the hall, which was now empty.  
  
"Oh, there you are Harry, we sent everyone to St Mungo's, but thankyou for your help. Breakfast will be ready in a second."  
  
Mrs Weasley bustled past, and Harry followed her to the kitchen, "Mrs Weasley, why was everyone like that? Even Lupin and Moody!"  
  
Mrs Weasley sighed, "I think that you had best ask Dumbledore that one Harry."  
  
Harry sighed, this woman would always be like this, he would just have to get use to it.  
  
"Why can't you tell me?"  
  
"Because i...Because I'm not sure I know all the details."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Look, Harry, just ask Dumbledore, OK?" Mrs Weasley's face was tight, and Harry wondered after everything else that happened what was wrong NOW.  
  
He sighed and thought of anything else, deliberately not looking at Mrs Weasley as he ate. Instead his thought turned to his birthday next year, he would be of age, meaning that the Weasley's would have to LOOK OUT. He smiled at that one, startling Mrs Weasley a little. It was the first real smile of his she had seen in quite a long time. Then he remembered that he had only one more year left at Hogwarts. The smile fell away like lead.  
  
Five Hours later Harry walked up the steps into the main hall at Hogwarts, and from the sound of it it was lunch time. The hall was full, and Harry snuck past, up to the dormitory because he was so sick of people staring at his scar that the next person that did it would have blue hair for the rest of his life. He sat down in the common room and wondered what to do. A pain in his scar stopped him and he decided to see if the era Madame Pomfrey was around. Then he wondered who the other one had been, and then who the Death Eater that had come into school was. There were so many loose ends to tie up, but before he could something always happened, and now was no exception.  
  
He ran into Ron and Hermione.  
  
"Harry!!" squeaked Hermione, and gave him a hug. "Where the hell have you been? There's been so much happening! Lavender and her slytherin friend are back and they say that you." she trailed off, and Harry raised an eyebrow, "they keep saying that I'm insane? That's gratitude."  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
Harry opened his mouth to reply and then realising he didn't knw, frowned and shrugged. "What else has been happening while I was at the ministry?" he asked, quite deliberately changing the subject.  
  
"At the ministry? Why were you there? And why aren't you in uniform??"  
  
"Long story and not one that you mother wants you to hear Ron."  
  
Harry watched his friends face go red for a second before adding, "But I'll tell you later."  
  
"Mr Potter!" Minerva McGonagall hurried down the hall, "follow me if you please, Mr Weasley, Miss Granger, outside please, it's a lovely day."  
  
Harry followed McGonagall to her office, where she handed him two pieces of parchment.  
  
He unrolled the first. His owl results.  
  
History of Magic---------E Defence against the Dark Arts---------O Divination-------------A  
  
(AN; help! What marks should I put?)  
  
It continued in that way for a little while and Harry smiled when he realised that, magically, he had managed 8 OWLS.  
  
"Wow."  
  
"Next parchment Mr Potter."  
  
It was a letter from the Headmaster. It stated simply and clearly that Severus Snape had acted rashly and that Harry was re enrolled for next year.  
  
"Phew."  
  
McGonagall looked up. "I suppose you have some questions about the last few days Mr Potter?"  
  
"Yes Professor, I do. Who was the Death Eater that came into the school?"  
  
"Lunverles Lagnetha. A recent addition to the hordes. He attended here and must have known about the passage since then. As I'm sure your next question will be why, we don't know, but we, that is the Order, are working on it."  
  
"Who was the other Madame Pomfrey?"  
  
"Sanfry Sungt. Another recent addition."  
  
"What happened last night? All the order members?"  
  
The professor sighed, "If I tell you Harry you must not tell anyone."  
  
Harry nodded, surprised by the use of his name and the witch continued, "for a while we have been aware that The Dark Lord and his cohorts knew of certain order members. Last night he attacked those order members, who promptly called for help. The Order members that answered the calls were ambushed and 'warned' too." There was a wry twist to the professor's mouth as she said it.  
  
"Where's Professor Dumbledore?"  
  
"Making statements to the press. Oh! I almost forgot."  
  
She handed Harry and envelope. "As we don't know where you are staying these Holidays I was supposed to give this to you now. It's your book list."  
  
There was something else in the envelope. Harry pulled it out. It was a badge. His first thought was 'cool, I finally get to be a prefect.' Then he actually read the badge.  
  
HEAD BOY.  
  
(AN; I'd end it there but I'd get hate mail so..)  
  
"Potter! Are you ok?"  
  
Harry blinked. For a second his body had seemed to forget to breathe.  
  
"yes." he croaked and the professor smiled at him, "you will have to get used to it. Don't tell anyone yet."  
  
"Who's head girl?"  
  
The professor seemed very please with herself as she answered, "Miss Granger. She doesn't know yet."  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
"And Potter?"  
  
"Yes ma'am?"  
  
"Don't disappoint Gryffindor." This was actually her way of saying 'don't disappoint me!'  
  
"I won't ma'am!"  
  
"Good luck in the Quidditch final tomorrow. Of you go now."  
  
Harry stuffed the badge in his pocket grinned at the professor and went outside.  
  
He saw Ron and Hermione before they saw him. They were sitting wit Neville and Ginny and Luna. He stood and watched them for a minute before smiling and heading over. He was lucky to have friends like them. They didn't deserve to be kept in the dark any longer though, and he resolved to tell them about the prophecy.  
  
"Hey guys!"  
  
"Hey Harry! What did McGonagall want?"  
  
"Oh book lists for next year cus no one knows where I'll be living over the holidays."  
  
He was immediately overwhelmed with 'you can stay at my place's.  
  
"Actually, guys." they were all watching him rather curiously.  
  
"I don't know whether I'll actually spend all that much time anywhere in the hols. Dumbledore says he might send me on some missions."  
  
There was immediate uproar.  
  
"What?! No fair!" from Ron,  
  
"He can't do that! You're too young!!" form Hermione.  
  
"Good luck." From Neville.  
  
*squeak* from Ginny.  
  
"You'll have to tell me all about it for the Quibbler." Murmured Luna.  
  
"Excuse me." Said Harry stiffly, "I will be 17, of age, soon. I can do what I want."  
  
"Anyway, it's safer for me to move around." He added, leading up to the dreaded topic.  
  
"How so?" asked Ron, puzzled.  
  
"Voldemort knows that I know about the secret weapon, and what the prophecy Saud."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"Why didn't you tell us?"  
  
"I don't believe this!"  
  
"SHUT UP! What do you reckon I'm doing now? Sit down Ron."  
  
Ron, who had jumped to his feet in anger, sat down again huffily.  
  
"Dumbledore told me about the Prophecy the night we returned from the Ministry. There are only two people who knows what it said, and that is me and Dumbledore, and shortly you guys,"  
  
"This sounds serious Harry." Commented Neville.  
  
"Deadly so. If it tell you, you will probably be in more danger than ever."  
  
"Ginny, mom doesn't want you to be in danger. Go away." Said Ron immediately.  
  
Ginny didn't move, and Harry said quietly, its up to her Ron. She knows the risks, perhaps better than some." He added, remembering the chamber of secrets.  
  
Ginny stuck her tongue out at Ron, he flushed red.  
  
"Professor Trelawney made the prediction, in Hogsmeade sixteen years ago on a cold, wet night."  
  
"Professor Trelwney? Well it can't be all that important then!" said Hermione, sounding relived. Harry laughed sarcastically.  
  
"You couldn't be more wrong, Hermione." He crossed his legs and lent his elbows on his knees. He was silent for a second, and Ron opened his mouth to say something but Ginny shushed him.  
  
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches.born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies."  
  
"Harry, what are you on about?" asked Ron, apparently thinking his friend was bonkers. Hermione hit him. She was listening intently with a worried loo on her face.  
  
"And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not."  
  
"Harry." began Neville, "SHUSH!" demanded Hermione franticly, beginning to piece things together,  
  
"And either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives.the one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches.born as the seventh month dies."  
  
Harry stopped talking and came out of his little trance and looked around at his friends.  
  
Hermione was pale and shivering. The other simply looked puzzled.  
  
"What have you figured out, Hermione?" asked Harry quietly, staring at the lake.  
  
"Born as the seventh month dies. Late July? Thrice defied the dark lord..Harry, how many times did your parents get away from he who must not be named before he found them?"  
  
"Three."  
  
The others were beginning to realise now too.  
  
"The dark lord will mark him as his equal." Her eyes searched Harry's hair line and he nodded for her to continue.  
  
"Power the Dark Lord knows not..come back to that."  
  
"Hang on a sec here," interrupted Ron, and Hermione hit him again, her brow furrowed with thought. Ginny, Neville and Luna where watching Hermione anxiously now, waiting.  
  
"And either must die at the hand of the other.oh, Harry, die? For neither can live while the other survives? oh Harry."  
  
"What? WHAT???" demandedRon.  
  
"Oh Ron, don't you see? Born in July! From parents who escaped Voldemort THREE time? THRICE! Marked, SCARED as an equal! Neither can live while the other survives! Don't you get it? Harry has to kill the Dark Lord or the Dark Lord will kill him!"  
  
Ron's face went colourless, matching Ginny's, Nevilles, Hermione's and even Luna's.  
  
Harry chuckled, their reactions had been just as he had expected. "The funny thing is, that it might not have been me at all." He glanced at Neville. "Your parents thrice defied him too."  
  
"So it could be Neville and not you?" asked Hermione.  
  
Neville went even lighter.  
  
"No. I'm marked as equal." Harry showed them the open scar, earning gasps of surprise.  
  
"But Voldemort could have chosen wrong!" squeaked Neville, surprisingly. "He might have marked the wrong person!"  
  
Harry had a flash back. Last year, sitting in Dumbldore's office, saying those exact words. Harry remembered how angry he had been, how miserable. He laughed a little, a throaty chuckle that set his friends hair on end.  
  
"He chose the boy he thought most likely to be a danger to him, and, "Harry was echoing Dumbledore's words a year previous, "he chose, not the pureblood (which according to his creed is the only kind of wizard worth knowing) but the half blood, like himself."  
  
"Is that important?"  
  
"It allowed me to escape him three times, and gave me the knowledge to run a further two. It s important."  
  
There was silence, and then Ron said shakily, "so does that mean that .*gulp*.that one of you has got to kill the other.in the end?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"are you ok with that Harry?" asked Ginny.  
  
"I don't have much of a choice, besides hiding under my bed and never coming out, but yeah, I think so. Of course I'm not very pleased with the fact that my future contains murder."  
  
"Its Voldemort, Harry," said Ron, shocked at such sentiments.  
  
"And who am I to hand out Death on a silver platter?" asked Harry quietly, and then continued, "Besides, whether it is his murder or mine remains to be seen."  
  
There was silence. Harry looked around at the beautiful grounds around him. They contrasted badly with his mood, with the deep well of despair that was threatening to engulf him in again. He searched for a subject, and then remembered what else he had been going to tell them.  
  
"There's another thing."  
  
From the looks on their faces Harry could tell that the last thing they wanted was more bad news so he said, "on a lighter note, I am now classed as a double animagi."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"How can you be a double animagi?" asked Hermione puzzled, this obviously contrary to her readings.  
  
"My very small amount of metamorphagus talent, I assume."  
  
"You're a metmamorphagus? Since when?"  
  
"A little while ago. Follow me and I'll show you."  
  
He led the to the DA room, where they had rebelled against Umbridge last year.  
  
"Oh, I keep forgetting to ask, how did everyone go with their DA exam?" Harry asked as he opened the door.  
  
Instead of the mats for fighting there had been last time he had seen the room, there was now a smaller version of the Gryffindor Common room, with a roaring fire and six large armchairs.  
  
Hermione chuckled, "I wish I had seen Umbridge's face. We all got top marks."  
  
"And Chang's friend still has scars from Hermione's hexing," said Ron proudly, making Hermione flush. Ginny giggled, "She still wears that funny balaclava."  
  
Harry nodded and changed into the Stag.  
  
"Prongs!" hooted Ron joyfully, earning looks of puzzlement from Ginny, Ron and Luna.  
  
Hermione explained that Harry's dad had been an animagi.  
  
There was another crack and Harry the human was standing in front of them again, and then another crack and a black and silver phoenix rose from the floor and circled them, trilling its phoenix song. Harry landed on the back of one of the armchairs and changed back into Harry the human.  
  
"wow." Breathed Ron.  
  
"cool." Whispered Neville.  
  
Harry smiled. "You guys really need to learn some more. It won't do to have me outstripping you."  
  
He missed the glances the others gave each other. He continued, "I suppose I could teach you if you wanted, but first.."  
  
"GET HIM!!"  
  
the five friends attacked Harry with hexes of all sorts, blowing him back of the chair,  
  
"HEY! Not fair!" Harry was laughing so hard that he could barely breathe.  
  
When they finally let him go he sat up and muttered, "Sorry I opened my trap."  
  
"That reminds me," said Ron, perched on his chair, "where were you last night?"  
  
"Talking to Voldemort." Said Harry as he sat down in his bouncy leather chair.  
  
He told them he story.  
  
--------------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Harry circled the pitch, keeping his eyes peeled for the snitch, wishing for a better day. It was overcast and grey, and Harry had to find the Snitch soon. Gryffindor were leading forty to zero and Harry knew things would get rough if he didn't.  
  
Then he saw it, opposite him, zooming in the opposite direction. He took of after it, only to be jerked backwards and almost roll off is broom when Malfoy grabbed it.  
  
"FOUL TO THE GRYFFINDOR SEEKER!" bellowed Madame Hooch angrily and Angelina took the shot, getting it in no problem.  
  
From the look on Malfoy's face Harry could see that his nemesis was going to get him back for the hair incident at all costs. ^_^ Lucky he had his wand tucked down the front of his robes. ^_^ The next time Malfoy went past Harry sent a spell his way. The hair changed into its swirling mass of colour again.  
  
Malfoy didn't notice at first, but the jeering crowd soon drew his attention to it, just in time for Harry to go after the Snitch again.  
  
He followed the flying gold ball straight down the pitch, earning 'ooh's and 'ahh's from the crowd. Suddenly the Snitch changed directions, going straight up. Harry followed, gripping his broom hard so as not to fall. Up, up, up, up. He glanced down and immediately wished he hadn't. To his utter astonishment the Snitch went through the clouds, and Harry had to shut his eyes to stop from being blinded by the sunlight above the clouds.  
  
The Snitch was mere meters away, and Harry levelled out for it an almost had reached it when Malfoy burst through the clouds a few meters away, his face livid. He didn't bother with the Snitch, but went straight for Harry, who ducked sideways. Malfoy tried again and Harry rolled right around on his broom to avoid the fist, but came up in time to receive a right hook in the face.  
  
He reeled, and clutched his broom grimly, knowing if he fell that he wouldn't have a chance. When he blinked the water out of his eyes he saw Malfoy going for the Snitch.  
  
The Firebolt outstripped the Nimbus. Harry sneered at Malfoy through the blood from his nose and then ducked through the clouds so fast that they actually created a tail behind him for a second, a spectacular show for the crowd below.  
  
Gryffindor went wild. They had won the Quidditch cup. Suddenly all the Slytherin's had hair hat matched Malfoy's, and most of the Gryffindor's found the new fashion appealing too.  
  
All in all it was a good end to the year. The Exams Harry found easy, which annoyed Ron no end. When they got the exams back Harry tried not to laugh when Hermione saw his History of Magic marks, a shade higher than hers.  
  
He found it hard not to tell anyone that he was Head Boy. Ron and Hermione discussed who they thought were candidates, and Harry knew they were both hoping it was them. He wondered how disappointed Ron would be. At least he was a Prefect. Thinking of Prefects reminded him of Perrcy and Harry asked Ron about him,  
  
"Hey, Ron, what's up with Percy these days?"  
  
Ron's face darkened. "Git."  
  
"Still?"  
  
"He still says he doesn't want to know us. Like he is ashamed of us, and he keeps writing to me to tell me to not be friends with you." Rons face was red with anger and Harry didn't persue the subject but commented,  
  
"I think its time I had a word with him."  
  
"What're you gonna say?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Harry," began Hermione warningly and he gave her his best 'what-have-I- done-now-it-wasn't-me' look.  
  
"I'll have a chat to him in the Hol's."  
  
"Just don't make it worse. Mom's upset as it is."  
  
"I wont."  
  
When the day finally came for them to catch the Hogwarts Express Harry wasn't sure what to do, so he asked Professor McGonagall who said that the Durlsey's would meet him at the station, and would take him back to the now refurbished Privet Drive.  
  
"It's odd to be going home." Commented Hermione as the countryside sped past.  
  
"Define 'home'." Grumbled Ron and Harry together, neither looking forward to the summer holidays. They looked at each other and grinned, and Harry said, "Hogwarts is home."  
  
AN; well, that's it for BoE. I hope you enjoyed it. Stay tuned for the sequel, it shoul be up next week.  
  
SOME QUESTIONS FOR YOU TO ANSWER!!!!  
  
1. Did I miss anything out in this chappie? . 2. Should I create a new story or just add to this one? . 3. If I wrote a sequel, would you read it? . 4. Should I keep Percy estranged from his family (stupid git that he is) ? . 5. Should Harry have a quiet summer, or another big one like his last?  
  
See you in the sequel!!!! (Or not). REVIEW!!! 


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